Just a small town girl
by Angel Pendragon
Summary: The angels reveal that the Winchester's have a sister and that she is what stands between the angel's winning and losing the war with Lucifer... only problem is Sam and Dean must decide do they kill her or let the angel's do it.please R/R
1. Just a small town girl

"Just a small town girl... living in a lonely world"

"Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world.. she took the midnight train going anywhere.. Just a city boy born and raised in self control, he took the midnight train going anywhere".

BOSTON...

Elle sat up and glared at the CD player from her spot on the couch,it was the 3rd time that night that the CD player had just started playing that song.

She reached for the remote and hit the stop button and crashed back down against the cushion she was slumped on.

"Seriously gotta sort that thing out" she grumbled to herself as she began to channel hop on the TV.

She scanned channel after channel of complete and utter crap, the same rubbish every night.

She stopped on one of those paranormal shows 'Most haunted' and watched it for a few moments then sniggered as she saw the main so called paranormal investigator asking the spirits to let them know they were there.

The woman on the show hushed everybody and told them to listen to the tapping that was in the room "it's a ghost" the woman shrieked excitedly and asked for more tapping.

Elle smirked and rolled her eyes "oh please, if a spirit wanted to make it's self known it would do more than tap on the walls.. well at least all the spirits I've met have done".

She picked up the remote again and started flicking through channels and stopped on another paranormal show 'Ghost hunters'.

The guys on the show were sat in a room with a camera and were asking spirits questions and explaining things like EVP and EMF.

Elle rolled her eyes again and switched off the TV via the remote and rolled off the couch onto the floor "EVP, EMF, SPOOKS... BOLLOCKS.. TRY THE FREAKING APOCALYPSE.. I'D LOVE TO SEE THEM DEAL WITH THAT" she yelled as she climbed to her feet and made her way to the bedroom.

It had been a long day for her and she decided it was best to get some sleep, even though she didn't feel tired she knew if she stayed up any longer she would either end up throwing the TV out of the window due to mindless stupid paranormal shows or she'd end up watching the shopping channels and buying stuff she really didn't need like an extendible feather duster for reaching those hard to reach places.

She headed to the bathroom and did the usual, brushed her teeth, washed her face and stared at herself in the mirror for ages.

She was contemplating dying her hair because the brown hair she had was becoming boring.

'Maybe I should go blonde or maybe a redhead' she thought to herself as she stared at herself some more.

She was a pretty girl with shoulder length dark brown hair and piercing green eyes.

Nothing like her mother who was blonde with bright blue eyes.

'Maybe I get that from my father.. who ever he is' she thought to herself before heading out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

She had been in this room all her life and it hadn't changed much over the years.

She still had the same cream wallpaper with pink flowery boarder she had up when she was a child but now she had several posters on the walls and a map of the USA with coloured thumb tacks in it.

The posters were of a few male celebs and bands she liked, Jared Leto from 3O Seconds to Mars, James Franco and some British TV actor who played a character called Dr Who.

The map was part of research and the thumb tacks marked places where omens had occurred and places with high rates of supernatural activity.

Elle's mother tried to raise her the best she could.

Even though she was a hunter she made sure her daughter lived a normal life, school, friends, holidays and anything else normal people did.

She kept the existence of supernatural creatures away from her daughter and the only time they spoke of vampires was when Elle was watching Buffy and was drooling over Spike.

The only time they spoke of ghosts and Demons was when they had been to see a horror movie other than that everything was nice and normal.

When Elle's mother would go on hunts she would get a babysitter or close friend to watch Elle and she would tell her daughter she either had a date or was on a business trip.

Her mother managed to keep up the façade for years until a man by the name of Bobby Singer rung the house and thought he was speaking to Elle's mother and started updating her on a hunt.

A nest of vampires outside of town was kidnapping girls and turning them into vampires for mates.

He told her the location 'Great Arberton route 32' before she stopped him and told him that he was speaking to Elle and not her mother.

She glanced around the kitchen thinking the guy on the phone was a nut job but her eyes fell upon a map on the kitchen table and a big red circle around 'Great Arberton'.

Just then it sunk in that maybe the guy on the phone wasn't crazy after all. Why else would her mother be going to Great Arberton at 11.30pm on her own if it wasn't on a hunt.

Elle ordered the guy Bobby to spill all and tell her what her mother was doing on this hunt and how the hell vampires were real.

He quickly told her that her mother was a hunter of the supernatural and had been for years and that she was on a hunt to kill the vampires in the nest so they would stop killing girls and turning them into blood sucking bitches.

Elle was gob smacked and almost fell onto the kitchen floor, she asked Bobby how many vampires are in an average nest just like it was a normal conversation and when he said it depends, it can be anything between 5 and 30 vampires.

Elle then snapped out of her gob smacked state and her heart sunk.

"30 blood suckers" she shrieked down the phone "and my mother has gone alone" she screetched.

She thought about phoning the police but knew they would think she was crazy and instead of going to Great Arberton to check on her mother they would go to her house and cart her out in a straight jacket.

She calmed her breathing and composed herself "ok so vampires, how do you kill them" she asked the man on the other end of the phone.

She heard a sigh and silence on the other end.

She gripped the phone reciever tighter and heard it squeaking under her grip "look buddy that's my mom and if you don't tell me how to kill those bastards I'll just go along anyway and probably get myself killed so how about you tell me the deets OK.. does garlic have any effect" she asked in an authoritative tone.

Bobby took a deep breath "look your mother's gonna kill me for this but hey if you go and get yourself killed she's gonna kill me anyway so either way I'm dead.... no garlic does nothing for vampires, neither does wooden stakes, you need fire and to kill a vampire you need to either cut it's head off or you can render it powerless using dead man's blood.. but I'd hardly advise digging up the local cemetery so stick to fire and beheading OK sweetie".

Elle then hung up the phone and ran to the garage where her mother kept the gas, BBQ fluid and anything else flammable, she grabbed a lighter and some fire lighters for good measure then headed to her car.

She knew where route 32 was and she could get there in fifteen minutes if she floored it.

Elle arrived at route 32 and saw her mother's car abandoned on the side of the road, she saw a warehouse in the distance about a mile from the road and decided that had to be where the nest was, there was no where else in the area.

She ran closer gripping the flammable goods and lighter, she had no idea what she was going to find.

As she got closer she heard a man's voice mocking and then she heard a woman cry.

No not a woman.. her mother.

Elle ran closer and hid behind a gap in the wall and saw a group of men surrounding her mother who was on the floor beaten and bloody.

"Look at all that tasty blood going to waste" one man said as he bent down infront of her mother.

"Get away from me you sick bastard" her mother screamed "just kill me and get it done with you freak" she screamed.

The men laughed and the one who had bent down stood back up and grinned at her mother.

"Oh I'm not going to kill you.. far from it.. I'm going to make you my mate" he said sickly.

Elle felt her heart sink and her blood boil at the same time.

This had to stop, she had to save her mother.

Just then she heard a snap of a twig behind her and she wheeled around not thinking, she kicked out and the man who had sneaked up behind her was on the ground.

She grabbed him by the throat and held a broken piece of glass she had found on the floor to his throat "who are you?" she snarled.

The man stared at her with fear in his eyes "Gordon... my names Gordon.. I'm a hunter.. don't kill me" he spluttered.

Elle stared at him "how do I know your not a vampire and when I let you go your not gonna rip my throat out" she snarled.

Gordon's eyes shot down to the broken piece of glass "well if I were a vampire that piece of glass would do nothing to me and you would already be dead".

Elle slowly released the man and shot back to the whole in the wall and watched the vampires and her mother.

"We need to save her" Elle whispered.

She felt the man bend down next to her and look through the gap in the wall "we will, now I need you to distract them do you have anything you can burn" he asked.

Elle smirked "how about this" she replied as she held up a bottle of BBQ fluid and a fire lighter.

"Perfect" he replied.

He told her to run in to the nest and light a piece of ragged cloth and hold it in the bottle of fluid and threaten to throw it to get their attention as he sneaked in the back and released her mother.

The plan worked and Gordon and her mother with Elle's help killed the nest of vampires and after that her mother let her in on the whole hunting deal and even let her go along on a few small hunts.

Elle soon became a good hunter and started going out on her own but then things got bad.

Demon's, spirits, shapeshifters, striga's and many other supernatural things started to happen and Elle had to start prioritising her hunts.

It was as if all hell had broken loose and the apocalypse was dawning.

Elle's mother received a phone call from Bobby about the apocalypse and that it really was coming.

He told her about the seals being broken and the Winchester boys being the centre of it.

Her mother gasped in shock as she spoke on the phone with Bobby "Sam and Dean are at the centre of the rising of Lucifer" she stuttered.

Elle looked up from the book she was reading "who are they?" she asked curiously.

Her mother shook her head at her and continued talking to Bobby.

Elle bit her lip and looked at the clock.. 'time for work' she thought to herself and started to gather her things and headed out the door waving to her mother as she went.

That was months ago and her mother never mentioned the Winchesters again.

Her mother got a call from a woman called Ellen Harvelle and she had to leave, she was on a hunt, most likely with this Ellen woman and Elle was left at home to be bored and live her normal life.

Working at the diner and at the bar, going to college part time studying philosophy and religious studies.

The two go hand in hand according to the padre at the local church where Elle helped out with fund-raising and runs a support group for women who have escaped abusive partners.

She enjoys the philosophy but the Religious studies are abit of a taboo and she's got into many arguments regarding God and his big plans.

She almost forgets that people don't know about the apocalypse looming over head and she has to ease off for their dullard views of an ideal world where God has these plans and everybody will be saved when judgement day comes.

'If they only knew the truth they'd all be banging on the door at Saint Michael's screaming and repenting their sins' she thought as she sat at her desk during class.

Now as she stood at the window in her room looking out at the groups of people stumbling down the street going home from the bars and clubs she felt a sensation of disgust in her stomach.

'We save these people day after day and all they do is go get wankered and piss it up against a wall' she thought as she fell backwards onto her bed.

She had not heard from her mother in over a week and she was beginning to panic, was she alive, was she dead, was she being held hostage by some hell spawn?.

Elle climbed into bed and drifted into a restless sleep plagued with dreams and nightmares of what she could only explain as hell.

SOUTH DAKOTA..

Dean, Sam and Bobby all stood by the table in Bobby's study looking at a map and circling places with a red marker when there was a soft blast of air in the room.

"Hey Cas" Dean said without even turning to see who had come into the room.

"Actually it's me" said a young woman with red hair.

Dean spun around to see the woman and smiled cheekily "my bad, hello Anna looking terrific as ever" he said with a wide smile.

Anna just shook her head at Dean and looked over his shoulder at Sam who was still stood beside Bobby at the table.

The room was silent for a moment or two then Bobby broke the silence "who wants a beer?" he asked as he headed into the kitchen.

Dean and Sam both said they would but Anna just shook her head, she walked over to the table and glanced at the map curiously.

She saw all the red circles and looked at Dean "what's this?" she asked as she pointed to the map.

Dean paused and thought of the best way to explain the map.

Sam cleared his throat and looked at Anna "it's a map" he said.

Anna rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply "I can see that" she replied harshly.

Dean had an awkward expression on his face, he knew he shouldn't explain what the map was for because it was not his place to say.

Anna stared at him she was losing her patience with the man "Dean.... what is it for?" she demanded.

"It's my idea..." said a cool, calm serious voice from the door.

Anna turned around and was met by the steel blue stare of Castiel the angel who was protecting the Winchesters and who raised Dean from perdition.

Anna stared at him confused "why is it your idea... what is it?" she asked as she looked at it again.

Bobby came back into the room with beers "Oh great it's a full house now, I'm gonna install an angel flap and attatch bells to your holy ass necks" he said in his pissed off tone of voice.

He was beginning to get sick of walking out of a room only to walk back in and find angel's standing there. They never used door's or rung ahead they just showed up and it pissed the old hunter off.

"It marks all the places where angel's are... I wanna know where everybody is.. where all the angel's are that I can trust" Castiel said coolly.

Anna stared at him with a still face "am I on there" she asked politely.

Castiel nodded his head "yes you are on there, but I don't know if I can refer to you as an angel I trust" he said roughly.

Dean stared at the two angels "OK awkward..." he whipped as he necked his beer.

Dean glanced over at Anna and raised his brow "did you come for anything in particular or just to see my adorable face" he said in a joking tone.

Anna turned to Dean and nodded her head, her red hair hardly moved as she did this.

"Yes I am here for a reason, there has been a revelation" she said softly.

Dean sat down on the chair arm and put his feet up on the coffee table "wow another revelation, it's all revelation, revelation, revelation up there with the big guns.. maybe it should be made into a game show" Dean said in his usual cocky tone.

"People's lives are not a game show Dean" Anna snapped.

"Yeah your right, plus Zachariah would make a terrible host" retorted Dean.

Castiel stared at Anna with his emotionless deep eyes and then to Dean "what kind of revelation?" he asked sternly.

Anna looked down at her feet and leaned back on the table where the map was.

"Maybe Sam should sit down first" she said with concern.

Sam looked at the angel's and his eyes grew wide "why is it bad" he asked concern staining his voice.

Anna pointed to the couch and Sam sat down instantly, Anna took a deep breath.

Castiel moved closer to the Winchester's and waited for the revelation.

"You two are the core of this apocalypse" Anna began.

"Yep we kinda already knew that" Dean gushed.

Anna shot him a stern stare "Dean you are Michael's vessel".

"Yahtzee that's me.. I'm Michael's holy condom" Dean snorted.

"Sam you are Lucifer's chosen vessel" Anna said as she met Sam's stare.

"Well we'll see about that wont we" Sam replied sharply.

The room was silent, the tension was so thick it could have been cut with a tooth pick.

"Winchester blood is sacred for some reason, it's the source of the apocalypse and it can be used to make the armies stronger.. more invincible somehow, by using a Winchester this war could be swayed hell could win" Anna states sternly.

Dean and Sam both stared at her "well that's easy, both me and Sammy plan to fight for heaven and humanity.. so panic over neither of us are gonna sign up to be lucifer's general" Dean says coolly.

"Well even so it doesn't mean hell won't have a chance at swaying either of you.. you two need to know this.. you two are not alone.. you have a sibling" Anna said calmly.

Sam stared in shock at Anna the words somehow getting lost in his throat.

"Nah that was Adam.. he got murdered remember.. now unless lucifer wants to raise him and use him I think we are safe" Dean blasted from his place on the chair arm.

"Actually no... it's not Adam... you have a sister boys and she is what stands between us winning or losing this war" Anna said harshly.

Dean and Sam both stared at Anna with confusion and a hint of anger.

Dean jumped up from the chair arm and marched towards the angel "what? Run that by me again.. we have a sister and you dicks see her as a threat" he snapped.

Anna stepped back from Dean "I know it's a lot to take in but the sooner you come to a decision the better" she said softly.

"Decision.. what decision?" asked Sam a tone of anger in his voice.

"The decision to kill her.. either you do it or the angels do it" Anna replied before disappearing.

The Winchester's sat shocked from what they had just heard.

"I am really getting sick of those dicks with wings now, first they tell us we have a sister and then they go oh but by the way don't plan a family reunion because you must kill her.. it's nuts" roared Dean as he paced the floor.

Sam remained on the couch thinking "how many other kids do you think dad has littered across the country" he asked his brother.

Dean shook his head and slammed his hand down on the table "who the hell knows, maybe we should get the angels to find out and then we can have a firing line set up and take them all out in one go" Dean snarled.

Castiel remained silent, he just stared at the wall as he listened to the Winchester's.

Bobby slumped down onto the couch next to Sam, Dean shot a glare at him "did you know?" he snapped at the old hunter.

Bobby took a deep breath and placed his bottle down "no and if I did don't you think I'd have told you before now" he snapped back.

Sam sat staring at the floor his mind reeling making sense of the new found information.

"Why do the angel's want to have her killed?" he asked softly, his eye's going to Castiel looking for an explanation.

Dean's eye's then fell upon Castiel along with Bobby's.

The angel just stared back blankly "I have no idea" he replied in his emotionless voice.

"Bullshit" snarled Dean as he paced towards Castiel "find out you son of a bitch or you can kiss me helping the heavens goodbye" he growled as he headed out of the house into the yard.

Sam continued to stare at Castiel "at least find out her name and where she lives ok, we might have a chance of saving her" he said to the angel before he got up and went after his brother.

Three hours passed before Castiel returned by this time it was into the early hours and the Winchester's had fallen asleep.

Dean was sprawled across the couch clutching his cell phone in his hand.

Sam was asleep at the table, his laptop still on.

Castiel stood above Dean and stared down at him, he watched as the phone in Dean's hand slowly slipped to the floor as the phone bounced and clattered onto the hard wooden floor Dean and Sam both startled awake.

Dean saw Castiel infront of him and he snapped awake "what d'ya know" he said groggily.

Castiel looked to the phone on the floor, he heard Sam tapping away at the keys on his laptop.

"I have a name and a location but other than that I am in the dark as to why they want her dead, the angel's don't trust me to tell me and I have tried every source I have for information" Castiel said softly.

"Well tell us what you have and we can go" Said Dean as he climbed to his feet and fished for his car keys on the couch.

Castiel looked over Dean's shoulder observing "why do human's always have to search for things? Why can't they put them somewhere safe" he said almost blinding Dean with fury.

"Just tell me what you know Cas or I'm gonna be seriously pissed" Dean snarled as he glared at the angel.

"Her name is Eleanore Yates, she's 20 years old lives in Boston and she's a hunter" Castiel said powerfully.

Bobby overheard what Castiel had said and came charging into the living room "Elle... she's John's daughter" he choked through the shock.

"Yes.. you know her" Castiel asked.

Bobby shook his head, he didn't know Elle really but he knew her mother and he never thought in a million years that Elle would be John's daughter.


	2. Point of no return

'Point of no return'

Dean grasped his keys and turned to Sam "lets go Sammy" he yelled as he grabbed his jacket, barged past Castiel and headed for the door.

Sam grabbed his laptop and jacket and took off after his brother nudging Castiel as he passed.

"Bobby we'll call when we get there" Dean yelled just before the door closed.

Castiel stood silent in the living room after a moment he turned to see the weary eyes of Bobby staring back at him.

"I should go" the angel said in his calm yet gravelly voice.

Bobby's lips formed into a straight line on his face and a glint of anger reflected in his eyes "d'ya think boy" he said sternly as he continued to stare at the angel.

With that Castiel vanished into thin air and Bobby was left alone, he could hear the distant roar of the Impala as it sped away from the yard.

BOSTON...

The alarm clock beeped continuously until Elle reached over and switched it off, she groaned as the blinding sun light invaded the bedroom and bounced off the mirror on the wall and straight on to her.

She pushed the covers off of herself and sat up, she winced as her feet touched the cold wooden bedroom floor, she didn't want to get up because she was so tired and had barely got any sleep during the night.

She woke almost every hour from nightmare after nightmare as soon as she closed her eyes again another nightmare began the next one always worse than the one before.

She climbed out of bed and made her way to the closet and pulled out a Tshirt, pair of jeans and a hoody then headed to the bathroom to get a shower.

The water splashed over her body and soothed her aching muscles, the aroma from the chamomile and lavender shower gel eased her and got her ready for the day ahead.

She headed back to the bedroom and pulled out a bra and pair of pants from the clean laundry basket then pulled on the jeans wriggling as she pulled them up.

"Jeez better lay off the snickers" she said out loud as she struggled to fit into her favourite faded black jeans, she pulled on the Tshirt which was black with the slogan "God is busy may I help" written across it in bright green letters and then finished her outfit off with her black '30 seconds to Mars' hoody and headed down stairs.

Before she headed out the door she grabbed a cereal bar and her car keys.

She had class first thing "an hour of religious studies great" she grumbled to her self as she put her 1959 Chrysler Imperial into second gear and roared out of the drive just missing the neighbours garbage bin.

Her mother had bought her the car for her 18th birthday, her mother asked her if she wanted a new ford or a cute mini cooper but Elle was adamant she wanted the classic. It didn't matter if it was beaten and rusted she would be able to work on it and make it beautiful again.

Elle pulled into the parking lot at college and jumped out of the car and headed straight to class with five minutes to spare.

She triumphantly punched the air as she made her way down the long corridor passed a group of preppy girls who stared at her with disgust as they whispered about her out fit.

Elle glanced at them and smirked slyly 'shit to them and their $200 Prada jeans and handbags' she thought to herself as she pushed open the door to the religious studies department.

Framed pictures of Jesus and an assortment of angels decorated the walls.

As she walked past them she amused herself by acknowledging them all "morning Jesus, hey there Michael, hows it hanging Gabriel".

She pushed open the door and walked into class just as students were sitting down and flipping open text books.

The professor stood at the white board with his trusty board pen in his hand and waited for people to get settled.

Elle sat down in her usual spot but noticed the seat two up from her was taken.

'It's never taken' she thought to herself as she peeked up and noticed a young man in his early twenties sitting there with short brown hair and the most amazing dark brown eyes.

He looked like a model or something 'wooo hot eye candy' Elle thought to herself as a cheeky smile spread across her face.

She flipped her text book to page 134 the number the professor had written on the board and she was met by the chapter titled 'Angels of the Lord'.

"Class lets settle please" the professor began "as some of the girls may have already noticed we have a new student joining us today" he said as he absent mindedly pointed in the direction of the mysterious stranger sat two seats up from Elle.

The guy stared at the class from his seat and uncomfortably shifted his weight as he flipped the text book open to the correct page.

"This is Nathan everybody... Nathan this is everybody" the professor said as he began to write on the board.

A few girls in the class started whispering and looking in Nathan's direction.

He sure as hell was getting a lot of attention and from the way he was acting it was all unwanted attention.

"Ok you lot what can you tell me about angels" the professor asked as he leaned on the edge of the table at the front of the class.

"They have fluffy wings" said one guy loudly.

"They have halo's" said another guy.

"Erm they are all good guys" said a girl from the back of the class.

"Angel's are warriors and soldiers of God, messengers" the new guy suddenly stated.

"Contrary to popular belief not all angels have fluffy white wings, halo's or are even good guys.... take Lucifer for instance" the new guy said in a wise yet calm and heavenly tone of voice.

"Lucifer is the devil you idiot" said a guy as he shook his head at the new guy.

"Yes and Lucifer is a fallen angel, disconnected and banished from heaven for sins against God" the new guy replied as his gaze met that of the guy who had just blasted him, coldly staring him down.

The professor smiled coyly "thank you lads" he said breaking the tension before a full scale argument started out.

Elle turned and watched the new guy for a few moments before looking back to the text book.

A picture of the angel Raphael stared back at her and it sent a shudder down her spine, she thought it was silly because after all it was only a picture but something about it seemed off.

After class Elle walked down the corridor slowly and felt a presence close behind her.

She glanced around to see Nathan walking inches behind her, she stopped and turned to him smiling sweetly.

"Hey" she chirped as she pushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

"Hey" he replied as he stared at her intently, his eyes were so dark and deep.

They were not the eye's of a young man in his early twenties they belonged to a soul much older but all in all he was remarkably good looking and had a certain serene atmosphere about him.

"I'm Elle by the way" she said as she held out her hand for him to shake.

He stared at it for a moment then reached out and shook it gently, he was very weary of her and she could see that.

"I'm not going to bite" she joked which made a slight smile flicker across his face.

It was gone as soon as it had appeared, he really was gorgeous.

"What you doing now?" she asked him curiously as the two of them started walking towards the door of the college.

He shrugged his shoulders "I didn't have anything planned" he replied softly.

"Well I have an hour before I start work, we could go for coffee and maybe get to know each other" she said sweetly, trying not to sound too forward and enthusiastic.

Nathan nodded and held the door open for her.

'He's such a gentleman' she thought to herself as she smiled at him and passed him at the door.

He looked at her and a glint of confusion crept into his eyes but as soon as it had appeared it had gone.

Elle drove to the diner where she worked with Nathan in the passenger seat, he didn't have a car or at least he didn't take it to college.

The pair headed into the diner and Elle ordered a drink and a burger, Nathan ordered a mineral water and nothing else.

Elle looked at the bottle of water Nathan had ordered when the waitress brought it over and let out a short laugh.

Nathan looked at her confused "what is funny" he asked confused.

Elle pointed to the bottle of water and sat back in the booth "don't you eat diner food or something?" she asked.

Nathan's lips contorted into a slight smirk as he eyed the water "I have a special diet" he replied hesitantly.

As the hour passed the two talked about college and what they did in their spare time.

The conversation was mainly one sided with Nathan asking question after question about Elle and what she did out side of work.

That was a fun conversation, she could have said that she hunted demons, spirits and supernatural beings and have the poor lad running for his life but instead she decided to play it safe and tell him she helped her mom out with her business and hangs with friends when she can.

Nothing too revealing, after all the guy barely spoke about himself and what he did he just said he had come along way and was in Boston for a wile so decided to enrol at the college and do Religious studies because religion was a big thing for his family.

The Winchester's arrived in Boston after a few hours of driving, Dean sent Sam to a local motel to book a room and he went for a look around town and called Bobby to see what he knew about this girl and her mother.

"Bobby where do I start" he asked helplessly down the phone.

"Last I heard son this girl worked in a diner and a bar" Bobby replied.

Dean winced at the last bit "a bar.... my sister works in a bar... great she'll have some right douchbags hitting on her" he snapped into the cell phone.

Dean could hear Bobby practically roll his eyes on the other end of the phone "Ok what diner" he asked as he tried to set out a plan of action for the day.

"Dolly's diner" Bobby replied.

Dean nodded his head and as he turned to look down the road he saw Dolly's diner just on the corner.

He hung up from talking to Bobby and headed down the road, he sent Sam a text message as he walked telling him where he was heading.

Just as Dean got to the door of the diner he felt a slight gust of wind behind him and a hand go to the door handle.

Dean turned to see the worried face of Castiel staring back at him "Dean... walking in there changes everything" the angel said coldly.

"Cas... she's my sister, I can't let them dicks kill her.. she's not done anything wrong, she's being persecuted for being a Winchester and that is all" Dean ranted at the angel.

Castiel removed his hand from the door and stepped back allowing Dean to enter the diner.

He sighed deeply and followed suite heading into the diner after his charge and friend.

Dean slowly made his way to a booth and slumped down he began to play with the salt and pepper pots as Castiel just observed quietly from the other side of the table.

"So what's the plan" Castiel said quietly.

Dean took a deep breath and looked up to meet the angel's gaze "keep her alive and keep her away from evil, Lucifer, the demons and not to mention your feathered friends who want to have her bumped off" he replied dryly.

"How do you suppose to do that then Dean?" Castiel asked bluntly.

"Will you not help or do you also want her killed" Dean asked almost sounding helpless.

Castiel just averted his gaze and looked towards the counter, he was just staring, not at anything but just into thin air.

Dean clenched his fist tightly and pouted slightly "like that is it?" he snarled.

Castiel looked back at the Winchester "It's out of my hands" he replied with a still emotionless face, his deep eyes reflected nothing and it cut Dean up from the inside.

"Hello gentlemen what can I get you?" asked a sweet female voice.

"I'll have a coke and a piece of apple pie" replied Dean as he smiled up at the waitress.

His eyes fell on the name badge 'Elle', his heart sunk and his eyes grew wide.

He looked up and met her gaze, she had bright piercing green eyes and brown hair, she had the same trademark pout he had.

She looked at Castiel and smiled as he looked up with his deep blue eyes "and you sir" she asked politely.

"Water will be fine, thank you" he replied and then she went towards the counter with their orders.

Dean stared at Castiel shocked, the angel noticed his silence and troubled expression.

"Dude did you see that.... she... she has my eyes and oh God, she's like me" he spluttered.

"She is your sister you are going to have similarities" Castiel said bluntly.

Dean stared at Elle from the booth, he watched her as she interacted with customers and joked with her co workers.

The bell above the door chimed and in walked Sam, he saw Dean staring at the waitress and smirked.

"Dude you're terrible... already eyeing up the waitresses" he said jokingly.

Dean shot him a cold, dark stare, he had so much anger in his eyes it made Sam recoil with astonishment.

He looked to Castiel who was also watching her now and then it sunk in, just as he was about to speak she came back over to the table with the orders and set down the plate of pie and drinks.

She smiled at Dean then pulled out her note book and looked to Sam who was by now staring in shock.

"Is there a problem sir?" she asked as she noticed Sam's shocked stare.

His stare shot to Dean and Dean just cocked his brow "dude I know... uncanny as hell" he said as he stuffed pie into his mouth.


	3. Ask the lonely

'Ask the lonely'

Sam turned back to Elle and just stared at her in shock.

He could not believe how much she looked like Dean, it was no mistake that this girl was their sister, she had the same bright green eyes Dean had, the same dark hair, the same pout and the same mischievous smile.

Elle's emerald eye's burned into Sam, she raised her eye brow and tapped the pen against her notebook.

She was waiting for him to speak, make his order, fall off his chair anything to break the awkwardness that was rippling through the diner.

Dean noticed the tension of the situation and kicked Sam under the table, Sam's head shot to Dean and he saw the look on Dean's face.

Dean slightly shook his head at Sam as if to say 'dude don't make it obvious you idiot'.

Sam couldn't help it everything about this situation was nuts and the fact that Elle and Dean looked so similar really took the biscuit.

Sam broke out of his trance state and let out a slight laugh as to cover the situation.

"Sorry, I erm...." Sam choked, losing his words somewhere in the conversation.

"He doesn't get out much" Dean joked trying to lighten the moment.

Elle smiled sweetly "it's ok... he's not the first guy to go dumb on me" she replied making Sam twist his face into a less than pleased expression.

'Great we've only just met and she's already slagging me off, so like Dean' Sam thought to himself as he pretended to read the menu but really he didn't want anything.

He'd been put off the idea of food as soon as he saw her and the thought of what the angels wanted to do with her made him sick to his stomach.

She was a girl barely out of her teens and the angels saw her as a threat and wanted her dead just so they had one leg up on the defeating of Lucifer, did Elle really have to die for them to win or was it once again one of Zachariah's cruel idea's just to get to the Winchester's and make himself feel better and important, why wasn't Cas doing more to help than just sitting with Dean and watching his every move and all the bad choices he made.

Sam looked up at Elle trying to disguise the pain he felt inside, this was his little sister and the angels had put a price on her head for reasons unknown and that really pissed Sam off but more than that it hurt because he knew he couldn't allow another of his siblings to die.

He never had the chance to save and get to know Adam but he was damned if he was going to lose Elle to either the evil side or the so called good side.

If the angels were all so good and powerful then they could protect and save Elle from turning to the dark side if that was what they were afraid of not take the easy way out and just kill her.

"I'll just have a coke thanks, I'm not hungry" Sam said as he placed the menu back down on the table and stared out of the window avoiding having to look at Elle again.

He didn't want to have to face her again until he had a plan to save her, with or without Castiel's help.

Hours passed and both Winchester's tired all the sources they had as to retrieving information on either Elle or her mother.

All they knew was that Elle's mother Katherine was a hunter and that she was friends with Ellen Harvelle and their father.

Nobody knew that Elle was John's daughter and if they did nobody was letting on.

"Yeah alright Bobby, well keep us in the loop" Dean threw his cell down on the bed and punched the air "DAMN IT" he yelled, his face was beginning to wear and dark circles were showing under his eyes.

He'd had about 7 hours sleep in the past 48 hours and it was defiantly starting to show.

Sam sat on the end of his bed and pulled out John's journal from his bag.

It was a long shot but maybe somewhere with in the pages there was a clue, something that could help them understand what the angels feared.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing of help" Sam snapped throwing the journal down on to the floor.

Dean sat on his bed and let his head fall into his hands and sighed deeply.

Sam could tell this was all becoming tough for Dean as well as himself.

The angels had called on them both to kill their own sister or else they would and Dean had had just about enough of their crap.

The angels had come close so many times before but now they had finally gone too far and the guys were not going to kill their own flesh and blood and they were not going to let the angels do it.

Dean would rather have gone to hell ten times over than let the angels lay one finger on Elle.

He'd stood up and protected Sam so many times and now it was Elle's turn to be protected.

She was his family and family look out for each other, the only problem now other than a garrison of psychotic angels on their backs was how were they going to tell Elle she was their sister.

"I need a beer" Dean hissed standing up and grabbing his jacket.

"There's beer in the mini bar" Sam replied pointing to the small silver door in the wall.

"I need a beer and out of this freaking motel" Dean growled throwing the motel door open and barging out leaving Sam alone in the room.

Sam took a deep breath and closed his eyes, this was not helping the situation and Dean going out to get drunk was defiantly not going to help.

The bar was pretty packed with people of all ages drinking, singing and dancing.

Dean sat at the bar gripping his pint in his hand and just stared into it.

The music and laughter seemed to be on mute and the only thing he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears.

"You wont find any answers in there" said the calm voice of Castiel.

Dean's eyes shot to the bar stool next to him and he saw the bottom of the beige trench coat the angel wore.

He let out a stifled groan as his privacy was yet again invaded by the angel, this was becoming too much of a regular thing.

Every where Dean went Castiel was sure to go and it was really starting to irk him.

Dean needed a little time to himself, to think, to weigh up his options, to even cry but when Castiel insisted on tagging along Dean could not do any of those things.

Dean instead of having the proverbial angel on his shoulder had the real thing and sometimes it was a blessing but other times it was a nightmare.

"Must you insist of stalking me?" Dean groaned.

Castiel stared straight ahead confused at what Dean had said, he wasn't stalking him he was merely watching him and on hand to help if he needed to.

"Drinking beer will not solve this problem" Castiel said sternly.

Dean spun on his stool and faced Castiel "and what problem would that be? Elle, is that what she is... a problem you son of a bitch" Dean snarled in the angels face.

Castiel did not flinch he just sat still as a statue as Dean snarled and spat in his face.

"This whole situation is a problem Dean" Castiel replied without remorse.

Dean narrowed his eyes at the angel "no you're the problem you dick, you and the other dicks you self righteous bastard, maybe if you got your head out of your arse, stopped being so god damn cryptic and maybe got laid once in a while you would feel more human therefore act more human and actually be a decent guy, but no your just a dick, a dick with wings".

Castiel just shook his head at Dean, he was used to his rants and abusive outbursts, it was nothing new but that didn't mean he was going to tolerate it.

"Watch your mouth Dean, remember I raised you from hell" Castiel began.

"Yeah, yeah and you can throw me back in, heard it a million times Cas, why don't you do that then because I'm pretty sure I'm already in hell right now, having to kill one's sister classifies as hell in my book" Dean yelled.

Luckily the music was loud enough to cover his erratic outburst and nobody heard what he had said.

Suddenly there was cheering and whooping as the song poison by Alice Cooper started .

Dean turned to see what the commotion was about and his eyes fell on a girl with shoulder length dark hair, short black skirt and tank top, she was dancing on a pole on a small stage and she had a small gathering of people cheering her on.

She gyrated against the pole and spun around on it, she lifted her head up smiling and looked into the crowd of people who were cheering.

Dean gasped in shock as his eyes met those of Elle. She held his gaze for a moment then her eyes shifted to Castiel.

A mischievous smile played on her lips as she climbed down from the small stage and made her way over to the bar where Dean and Castiel were sat.

She paced straight forwards and stopped in front of Castiel, she grabbed hold of his tie and stared right into his eyes.

A look of fear engulfed his eyes and face, his mouth gaped slightly and his breathing began to become heavy.

"Are you guys following me?" she whispered into Castiel's ear.

He gulped down air but no words came out of his mouth, he just stood speechless and helpless in front of Elle.

She pulled the angel close to herself and wrapped her arms around his neck, a wild smile spread across her face and illuminated her eyes.

They sparkled in the light of the dance floor.

"I would ask you to dance but..... you don't seem the dancing kind... far too uptight" Elle smirked as she stared into the deep steel blue eyes of the angel.

He was rather cute in a weird, uptight kind of way not her usual type of guy but he had his qualities.

As Elle admired him up close she could sense that he was rather scared of the way she was being with him.

He wasn't used to having a woman so close to him and it was rather cute, it made her smile that he was so terrified of a woman.

'Maybe he's gay' she thought to herself as she removed her arms from around his neck and turned to his friend.

"Twice in one day.... now I'm either a lucky girl or a seriously unlucky girl, which is it?" she demanded.

Dean stared at her with soulful eyes "that depends" he replied softly.

Elle observed the two men curiously, there was something about them that she couldn't quite put her finger on but it didn't seem threatening.

Being a hunter she was used to her gut instincts and they were usually always right and these two gave off a vibe but it seemed good.

"Where's the dumb one?" she asked curiously referring to Sam.

Dean smirked slightly, he loved this girl she was just like him, open and straight to the point she said what she felt and didn't care who she stepped on in the process.

"Sam my brother, he's back at the motel" Dean replied.

Elle nodded and reached her arm around Dean, he turned his head to see where her hand was going and he saw that she was reaching for a drink the bar tender had placed on the bar top for her.

"Regular are you?" Dean questioned with interest.

"I work here" Elle replied as she sipped her drink.

"Really..... as what?" Dean asked as his eyes glanced to the pole she was earlier dancing on.

Elle saw where his eyes had gone and smirked "stripper" she said with a grin.

Dean's eye's almost popped out of his head and he could feel the air in his throat catching.

"What?" he shrieked.

Elle burst out laughing "I'm a bar maid" she said sweetly easing the situation.

Elle was light heartedly chatting to the two guys when she caught sight of a man stumbling towards the bar.

"Oh no" she moaned as she made her way past the two men.

Dean turned to see her heading towards a man who had just come in the bar.

Castiel watched intently and saw that Elle had left them to deal with a man who seemed troubled, a man in a black smock... a priest.

"Hey padre, what have I told you?" she said as she snatched the bottle of whisky he had just grabbed from the bar out of his hand.

He turned to her with pleading in his eyes, he snatched for the bottle but she passed it back to the bar man and glared at him.

"Padre you know indulging in alcohol is a sin" she reasoned.

The priest stared back at her "you drink" he snapped.

Elle paused and bit her lip, there was so much she could say but she knew it was pointless and that he wouldn't listen.

"I know I do padre, but you and me are very different, you have dedicated your life to spread God's word, be his voice and teach his lessons.... me I've not" she said softly as she leaned against the bar.

By this time Dean and Castiel had made their way closer to Elle and the priest to listen and to see how she dealt with the situation.

"Do not give into the evil temptations padre" she added as she smiled at him sweetly with concern and remorse.

"Evil is already winning child, the apocalypse is almost here" the priest mumbled but Dean and Castiel had heard what he had said.

Dean stared at Castiel shocked. Castiel turned his head to the heavens and closed his eyes, did the priest know what he was talking about or were they just the rantings of a drunk?.

"We need a miracle to beat hell" the priest cried as he clutched onto the bar.

"Ok padre how about if you leave now and head back to Saint Michael's I'll make a deal with you, I'll come to church every Sunday... how does that sound? Is that miracle enough for you?" she smiled.

The priest looked up with a slight wry smile on his worried worn face. He nodded his head but Elle could tell he wasn't sure or happy with anything.

She took the priest by the arm and walked with him out of the bar.

Elle stepped out side with the priest and helped him across the road and down the street to the church.

Dean and Castiel followed behind but kept their distance as not to spook the fragile priest.

They could over hear the conversation between Elle and the priest, a conversation about how if they both believed in God and the angels then they would have the strength to beat anything, it was all about faith and love.

Elle helped the priest up the steps of the church and they disappeared inside leaving Dean and Castiel standing in the shadows of the ancient church.

"The angel's want her dead and she's more religious than me, she walks priests home from the bar, she's a freaking saint Cas" Dean blasted.

Castiel stood back and stared up at the church, he was looking at the stained glass windows in silence.

Dean could tell he was thinking because Cas had his thinking face on, his brows were furrowed and his lips were tight.

"Cas..... this is nuts" Dean boomed in his husky voice.

Castiel looked back to Dean his eyes reflecting something new, he too knew the situation was crazy and that killing Elle was not the best course of action.

From what he had seen she was anything but a threat to the angel's, if anything she was the perfect candidate to be an angel herself once she had left her mortal body.

"I wanna know who ordered the hit on her and I want to know why and the fact she is what stands between the angels winning and losing this war is not a good enough reason, I want to know what it is that they fear her doing" Dean demanded.

He was asking and talking out loud now, not to Castiel but to who ever was listening higher up the chain of command in heaven.

Castiel stood silent, waiting to see if one of the arc angels would grace them with their presence or if Zachariah would make an appearance and cause an argument like he usually did.

Suddenly the church door opened and Elle stepped out, she was preoccupied and did not notice Castiel until she almost bumped into him.

"Sorry" she cried as she recovered her balance, Castiel grabbed her arms to hold her up.

She met his gaze once again but instead of it being blank and heavy it was kind and tainted with concern.

"How is the priest?" Dean asked showing genuine concern in his voice.

Elle glanced back at the church doors and shrugged her shoulders "to be honest... I'm not sure, everything is so messed up right now... you wouldn't believe me if I told you" she replied in a voice that sounded so small and broken.

"Why wouldn't we?" Dean questioned sympathetically.

Elle blinked into the dark of the night and thought of the best way to compose her next sentence.

"Because it's just nutty" she gushed.

Dean smiled, that was one of his phrases.. "Oh you don't even know nutty" he said in a strained voice.

The three of them walked down the street slowly taking in the cool air of the night.

The air was sweet and refreshing, so much better than the stale scent of beer and perfume from the bar.

Elle made her way over to a bench sheltered under a tree which had a clear view of the open night sky.

She sat down and stared up into the sky, there was a scattering of twinkling stars and the odd cloud.

It was a calming sight and she breathed in the night air and let it fill her head.

She composed herself and turned to the two men sat beside her. She laughed as she noticed one was on either side of her, almost as if shielding her from the world.

Dean was to her left and Cas was to her right.

"I'm not crazy.. honestly" she began.

Both Dean and Castiel nodded in response. They both knew what ever she had to say would not be crazy, they had seen so much and nothing seemed crazy or impossible any more.

"Do you believe in God, evil and the apocalypse?" she asked falling into a serious tone.

The flirty, cheeky and over all badass girl from earlier had now fully melted away to reveal a cool, serious and level headed girl.

Dean leaned back on the bench and folded his arms across his chest "you have no idea how much we do" he replied.

"Do you believe we can win?" she asked almost in a whisper.

"I hope so" replied Dean.

"I don't have this conversation with everybody you know, it just seems I can trust you two" Elle said softly as she pulled her knee's up under her chin and rested her head.

"You don't even know our names" Dean scoffed.

Elle smiled "I don't do I?" she chuckled.

"Hi I'm Dean Winchester and this is my friend Cas" Dean said with a smile offering his hand to the girl.

"Winchester...... as in John Winchester's son... as in the one who broke the first seal and set hell loose?" she snapped.

Dean clenched his teeth and lips together tightly "yahtzee, that would be me" he replied as he pulled his hand back.

"OK, well I'm Elle Yates and I wont hold the fact you single handedly doomed humanity against you, we've all made mistakes, that much we have in common" she said with a slight smirk.

"Oh we have more than that in common" Dean retorted.

Castiel suddenly stood up and excused himself and walked off into the shadows, Elle's eyes followed him as he vanished out of sight.

"care to enlighten me Dean?" she said softly with curiosity as her eyes went back to the man sat next to her on the bench.

"What do you know about John Winchester?" Dean asked calmly.

Elle thought for a moment "not a lot, I know he's a hunter and has two son's and that he was friends with my mom" she responded.

"Well what I'm going to tell you might be hard to swallow but it's the truth ok, promise you wont flip out and go nutty on me" Dean said calmly.

Elle nodded and turned to face him on the bench, she crossed her legs and gave him her full attention.

"John died almost three years ago, he made a deal with a demon... his life for mine, I was at deaths door and well the reaper came knocking... but my dad made a deal with a demon and he died, I survived you get the idea" he said his voice almost breaking as he recalled the memories.

"About a year ago we found out he had a son called Adam, Adam died... ghouls, hate the freaking things... we never had a chance to save or get to know Adam.... yesterday we found out we had another sibling... a sister..... you" Dean said calmly.

Elle's eyes widened with the shock of the revelation.

"what? You and me are related...... and Sam"she choked.

Dean nodded his head slowly.. letting the information sink in.

"We are brothers and sister but that's not it all.... you see the angel's and yes angel's do exist.. you met Cas.. he's one of the good guys. They have a slight problem.. when I say slight I mean epic".

Elle sat shocked, her mouth gaping and her head reeling.

"To beat to the punch line the angel's want you gone... ended.. dead and please don't ask why because we are clueless, but me and Sam wont let that happen and if I know Cas he wont either" Dean said sternly studying his sister's reaction.

"WOW.. what a... wow... I'm erm... what the hell do I say to that?" she said her voice shaking.

Dean placed his hand on top of Elle's and looked her deep in the eye's "we will beat this and if all else fails I'll go down fighting, no body is killing you, the angel's need me and if they so much as breath on you I'll drop them like that" he said with a snap of his fingers.

"So I'm a Winchester, I'm wanted dead by angels and the apocalypse is looming... wow that's just.. delightful" she retorted.

"You said the angels need you....... why?" she asked curiosity staining her voice and showing in her pretty features.

"I am the Michael sword" he said with a half hearted smile "I am the vessel Michael the all powerful arc angel is supposed to posses to kick Lucifer's ass back to hell... by the way Sam is the chosen vessel of Lucifer so when the end comes it's supposedly going to be an all out Winchester warfare and somehow you fit into it... I don't know how... but Sam's not going to go dark side and neither are you so the angels can go screw them selves" Dean ranted.

"Does that include me?" said a light female voice from behind Dean.

Elle and Dean turned to see Anna standing in the shadows.

Dean gritted his teeth and glared at the angel "yes... especially if you so much as even look at Elle funny" he snapped flying up from the bench and wheeling on the angel.

"Dean.... you know the orders" she said softly.

"To hell with the orders Anna, since when were you a monkey wrench for the dicks upstairs?" he snarled.

Anna looked at Dean with heavy deep eyes, Elle could see the pair went deeper than what reflected on the surface, there was a deep personal level in there and Elle felt guilty and like an intruder as she witnessed the soulful looks between the pair.

"Dean I don't want to hurt you" Anna said sweetly.

"Then back off and leave Elle alone" he snarled at the red head.

Anna stepped towards Elle and Dean saw a shimmer come from her jacket sleeve, it was a knife.

Just as Anna pulled the knife from her sleeve and raised it above Elle the angel flew against a tree.

Elle nervously panned around the area to see who had intervened but saw no body.

Dean grabbed Elle's hand and pulled her from the bench and ran with her in tow.

He knew he had to get her some where safe, somewhere he could put angel traps and keep her out of the reach of angels even if that meant away from Castiel.

After all he had just vanished and Anna turned up ready to kill Elle, that seemed a little too convenient to Dean.

Maybe Castiel was all for having Elle killed after all.

Dean could not explain what made Anna fly against a tree, he didn't know if it was due to Cas intervening or what but right now he wasn't willing to take any chances.


	4. Dust in the wind

'Dust in the wind'

The motel door crashed open startling Sam who was sat at the table on his laptop with his cell phone in hand.

"Bobby I gotta go" he rushed as he hung up on the old hunter and jumped to his feet, making his way across the room towards Dean and Elle.

Dean slammed the door closed and locked it with haste then ran for the bag Sam had brought and pulled out a knife and began to slice at his arm.

Elle stood staring in shock at her brother who was hacking himself to death with a knife but no matter how much she wanted to scream at him to stop she couldn't.

She was paralysed with confusion and fear, she thought angels were good, righteous and merciful and here she had just been almost killed by one.

To hell with them being merciful they were lunatics.

"Dean what's going on?" Sam ordered as he was shoved out of the way by his brother.

Dean dipped his fingers in the blood seeping from his arm and began to draw symbols on the wall of the motel room.

"Angel traps" Sam scoffed.

Dean quickly glanced to Elle then to Sam and gave his brother a knowing look.

Sam quickly picked up another knife and cut his arm and began drawing symbols on the other wall of the room and the door.

Elle stared in shock, both of her brothers were mutilating themselves now and defacing the motel room.

Dean turned to Elle with blood still dripping down his arm "OK, now they can't get to you" he said reassuringly.

Elle looked to the cut on his arm and shook her head "what are those symbols?" she asked shakily.

"Angel traps, no angel can come near" Sam replied as he wrapped a rag around his bleeding arm.

Elle looked back to Dean's arm, it was still pouring with blood "here give me a rag" she ordered to Sam as she held out her arm out waiting for a rag to aid her brother.

She grabbed Dean's arm, grabbed a near by bottle of vodka and poured it over the cut.

Dean winced in pain as the alcohol invaded the wound, Elle then wrapped the rag around the arm and tied the two loose ends in a knot.

She looked up into his bright green eyes and smiled gently, he returned the smile as he took the remaining bottle of vodka from her hand and swigged a bit.

Sam stood by the door looking pensive and angry, he could only guess that the angels had attacked and that was why Dean had come crashing back into the motel room with Elle by his side.

"Where's Cas?" Sam asked curiously.

Dean shot him an angered stare "good freaking question" he replied coldly.

Dean explained the actions of the night to his brother over a beer from the mini bar.

He told Sam how Elle helped the priest, how he told her about them all being related, about John's deal and about the angels having a target on her head.

He then explained how Castiel disappeared and Anna turned up and tried to kill Elle.

"Anna.... I thought she was on our side, what with her rebelling and killing Uriel" Sam gushed with confused.

"Clearly not any more" Dean retorted with anger.

Elle sat on Dean's bed staring at her cell phone, the name mom on the screen, she wanted to call her mother and speak to her, to tell her about Sam and Dean and to tell her about the angels wanting her dead but she knew she couldn't. It would only make her mother worry and when her mother was on a hunt she needed to have a clear head.

"Penny for your thoughts" said Dean smoothly as he sat down on the bed next to her.

She flipped her phone closed and straightened up on the bed "just trying to make sense of this mess" she replied trying to stop herself thinking of her mother.

"Where is your mom?" asked Sam sweetly.

"On a hunt with Ellen Harvelle" Elle replied in an almost whisper.

Dean and Sam shot each other a worried stare and Sam picked up his phone and held it to his ear.

"Hey Jo, hows things? Yeah.... good... is your mom there?.... oh ok, when should she have been back?" is all she could hear from the conversation Sam was having with Jo.

Elle knew Jo was Ellen's daughter and she had met her once before but she didn't particularly get on with her or like her.

Sam hung up and turned to Dean "we have a slight problem, Ellen should have returned Tuesday from the hunt but she's not back yet and she's not been in touch with Jo either" Sam said worriedly.

Elle could tell from his eyes that he was gravely worried about this and that made her worried.

If something had happened to Ellen then something must have happened to her mother because they were both together.

Elle grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open, she held it to her ear and her eyes squeezed shut with despair as she got her mother's voice mail.

"Hey mom... can you call me when you get this please, I love you" she whispered softly before hanging up and letting the phone fall from her hand.

Dean wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, holding her in a tight hug.

Sam could only watch from the other side of the room, he could not lie he felt left out and as if he was losing his brother.

Dean let go off his sister and headed out of the motel room. Elle had no idea where he was going but she knew he wouldn't be going far.

She looked over to Sam who gave her a half hearted smile but then turned his head to his laptop and began reading an article he had found on the hunt that Ellen and Katherine had gone on.

As he read it it became more clear that it was demon related or at least it had all the markings of demons but Sam knew only too well that just because it looked like a duck and sounded like a duck it wasn't always a duck.

This could be angels trying to make it look like demons, it wouldn't be the first time they had pulled a stunt like that.

Elle laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, before she knew it she was drifting off into a restless sleep.

It was the only sleep she knew, she couldn't remember the last time she had a decent nights sleep.

Dean stood with his back against the freezing cold wall of St Michael's church, he was waiting and had been for hours.

"Cas you bastard where are you?" he yelled hoarsely.

He looked at his phone and it was 4:32am, he had been here for almost three hours calling out to the angel, wanting answers and he was going to get them even if he had to raise hell to do so.

Dean walked over to the church door and tried the handle, it was open.

Dean eyed the door and cautiously thought for a moment.

'what church has it's doors open at this hour?" he thought to himself as he decided to enter.

As he carefully entered the church he saw a row of candles flickering in the distance near the alter.

He closed the door gently and began to walk down the centre aisle, as he walked he saw a figure sat at the very front of the church.

This caused Dean to stop and look around, was this a trap and was he going to be jumped by demons or worse angels.

Suddenly he felt a slight blast of air behind him and he carefully peeked over his right shoulder.

Castiel stood calmly behind him, his head tilted slightly and his eyes heavy and deep.

"Entering a church shows faith Dean" Castiel said softly.

"Or it could mean I am sick of standing out in the cold waiting for you to show" Dean spat back.

Dean looked back to the figure sat in the church, it was still there, silent and still almost like a statue but Dean knew it was a person, he could feel it.

He began to walk towards it when Castiel grabbed his arm and shot him a warning stare.

The two men watched the figure from the back of the church.

"Dean you must be careful" Castiel said wisely.

Dean snatched away from the angel and continued towards the figure.

As he got closer he saw it was the priest from the bar, he was just sat, frozen staring at the candles on the alter.

Dean watched him closely but it was as if the priest couldn't see him, he just kept staring at the candles as the flames danced and flickered.

Dean heard the slight flutter of wings and turned to see Castiel directly behind him, he rolled his eyes at the angel.

"You guys seriously need to walk more" Dean cursed to the angel then looked back to the priest.

Castiel pushed passed Dean and sat beside the priest, he stared at the candles for a moment, contemplating his thoughts.

He picked up a bible and started flicking through pages but noticed red symbols on the pages, he picked up another and flicked through that and noticed the same.

He turned to Dean with eyes reflecting sheer confusion.

Dean took the bible from the angels hand and scanned the pages.

"Angel conjuring symbols... you gotta be kidding me" Dean snapped.

Castiel shook his head and turned his head to the massive stained glass windows.

"The call has been made, who's going to pick up?" he said roughly as his eyes scanned over the windows taking note of the angels decorated on them.

Dean followed Castiel's gaze and noticed the angels on the windows "hey Cas, maybe one day you'll be painted on a window eh" Dean said with humour.

Castiel turned to Dean and tilted his head again "I should not think so" he replied coyly.

The priest shifted on the seat for the first time since the men had entered the church.

He blinked as if he had just come out of a sleep or a trance and then he noticed the two men beside him.

He startled with surprise and recoiled away from the the two men.

"Hey it's Ok father, we mean no harm" Dean said in a comforting tone.

Castiel just stared at the priest with his deep eyes trying to read the priest and understand his actions.

"These symbols, why are you trying to contact angels?" Castiel asked the priest calmly.

The priest blinked at the bible in Dean's hand and then to the angel.

"How do you know what they are?" the priest asked the angel, panic breaking his voice.

"This kind of thing can be dangerous and if you don't understand it, it can do a lot of damage" Castiel scolded.

"They are just symbols... nothing more, they are not going to do any thing" the priest hissed.

Castiel turned to face Dean and then stood up slowly, he made his way to the alter where the candles were.

They were the only source of light in the old church.

As Castiel stood in front of the candles his shadow cast across the far wall of the church, he motioned for Dean to make the priest turn and look.

Dean shot him a 'dude you can't be serious' glare but did as the angel asked and told the priest to turn to face the far wall.

The candles flickered wildly and the angels shadow grew wider, the candles calmed to reveal a shadow of a man with wide spread wings.

The priest gasped and turned to Castiel but he could not see his wings, he looked back to the wall and saw the shadow with wings.

"How... how is that possible?" gasped the priest as he stared in shock at the shadow on the wall.

"This is my vessel, my true form is too much for humans to comprehend, the shadow reflects the being inside this man... my wings are only visible in the form of a shadow" Castiel said calmly as he explained his secret to the priest.

The priest turned back to the angel and tears filled his eyes.

"An angel, my prayers have been answered" cried the priest.

"More like those symbols you scrawled all over the bibles" Dean chimed.

"I am the angel Castiel and this is my friend Dean Winchester" Castiel said softly to the priest.

The priest let his head fall into his hands and he began to cry "I had almost lost faith, I'm a priest and I almost lost faith, I confided in a young woman.. things we are meant to keep secret.. the apocalypse and Lucifer walking the earth" he cried.

Dean stood silent, he knew who he was talking about, the priest was talking about Elle and then things began to make a little sense.

The priest had confided in her a mere human the secrets of the heavens, the angels wanted to keep the rising of Lucifer a secret and here a priest had openly told a mere girl, not just any girl but a hunter, somebody who would not just write the old man off as a lunatic because she knew the things from the worst nightmares were real.

Was this why the angels wanted her dead, because she knew the secrets of the heavens and they thought somehow she would join up with the devil and fight for hell.

"Elle Yates right?" Dean questioned the old man.

He only nodded through the sobs, here they were at almost 5am in the morning in a church with a priest sobbing his heart out about the apocalypse.

"Father, we are here to help and trust me Lucifer is not going to win this war but I wouldn't put all your faith in the angels" Dean said coldly making Castiel frown at him.

"But the angels are God's warriors and are merciful beings" the priest began.

Dean snorted and held back a laugh "yeah.... about a whole two of them and the rest are just dicks" he said harshly.

The priest looked confused but his face still showed hope as he gazed at Castiel who still had his wings out stretched.

"Ok pack it up Cas.. I still need to talk to you about the problem" Dean demanded to the angel.

Castiel spoke privately with the old priest for a few minutes then followed Dean out side of the church.

The sun was beginning to rise over head and Dean felt the exhaustion take over as his head began to pound and his eyes blurred from lack of sleep.

"Cas what the hell happened earlier with Elle, you disappeared and Anna tried to kill her and then there was all that with Anna smashing into the tree, was that you?" he said wheeling on the angel.

Castiel just stood coldly staring at Dean "no it wasn't me, I went to try and find out who had ordered the hit on your sister and to give you two time to get to know each other, all I know is the order has come from somewhere very high on the chain of command.. how high I don't know" the angel replied wisely but softly.

"Then who the hell caused Anna to smash into that tree?" Dean barked.

Castiel shrugged his shoulders at Dean "I have no idea".

Dean made his way back to the motel and walked in to see Sam sprawled across his bed and Elle curled up on Dean's bed with Sam's jacket draped over her.

The sight warmed his heart and made him smile, he still had a few things to smile about in all of this.

He had his family and even though they had all been thrown into the apocalypse head first he wouldn't change any of it.

Maybe he'd prefer Sam not to hype up on demon blood but at the end of the day he was his brother and would happily die for him all over again.

Dean then felt his heart skip as he realised he could not let Sam say yes to Lucifer.

The visions from when Zachariah had blasted him to the future crept into Dean's head.

The sight of Sam in that crisp white suite, possessed by Lucifer killed him, the fact future Dean told him he had to say yes to Michael and Castiel stoned out of his head.

That was not the future Dean wanted, that was not the future Dean was going to allow to happen.

Dean watched the sleeping pair for a little longer before waking them up, he'd had no sleep but he didn't care any more.

He had to keep Elle protected and he couldn't and wouldn't let her protection ride on Sam's head.

All he had to do was let his guard down and fall off the wagon and then the angels would snatch Elle and kill her.

Dean and Sam had both advised Elle from going to class that day, they could not risk leaving her alone in class as angels circled her like a pack of vultures.

She stayed with her brothers all day, they took her home to gather some things such as clean clothes, passport in case she needed it, money and credit cards.

Dean was stood in front of the fridge with the door wide open, sighing and cursing the lack of beer and pie in there.

As he closed the door he jumped as he saw Castiel standing behind it.

"Dude quit lurking" he snapped at the angel.

Elle rounded the kitchen door and halted in her tracks, fear struck her heart as she saw Castiel.

The look of fear engulfed her face which made Castiel's eyes drop to the ground.

She feared him because he was an angel, she was now putting him in the same league as the rest and to his surprise it actually hurt.

"Elle it's OK, Cas wont hurt you... trust me" Dean said.

His words comforted her slightly but she still was cautious of the angel, what if he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike and kill her.

Elle clutched a small suitcase in her hands and made her way out to the Impala where Sam was waiting.

"Protect her Cas, with your life, when we can't you must, you got that" Dean ordered the angel.

Dean thought Cas was going to give him the usual lecture on how he didn't take orders from humans but instead he just nodded his head and agreed to Dean's demands.

That evening Elle told the guys she had to go to work, she could miss class but she couldn't miss work, she needed the money to keep things ticking over and they agreed to go with her.

"What spending the evening in a bar..... how can that be wrong" Dean said with a gleam of triumph in his eyes.

Sam rolled his eyes "yeah OK, but this is not recreational we are they doing a job, so stay off the shots" he ordered.

Dean saluted him mockingly and put his arm around Elle as they headed out the door to the Impala.

Elle could see her brothers watching her from the booth facing the bar. No matter where she was in the bar one of the Winchester's had her in their sights at all times.

"Who are the hunks checking you out?" asked a friend of Elle's.

Elle smirked as she looked to the Winchester's and then back to her friend.

"Who ever they are.... mmmmm they are hot, I could easily be persuaded to tap that" she said as she practically drooled all over the bar top.

Elle laughed as she listened to her friend perving on her brothers.

"They are family from out of town" Elle replied to her friend.

"Family.... oooh please do put in a good word for me, you know I'm your best friend right?" she said with a mischievous grin.

Elle jokingly shook her head and busied herself with bar work, chucking glass bottles into the recycle bin, putting glasses into the washer and serving customers.

"Elle, hey" said a familiar smooth male voice.

Elle looked up to see Nathan standing at the bar smiling at her.

"Where were you today? I was worried" he said sweetly tugging on her heart strings.

Elle beamed as she saw Nathan, in the commotion of the past few hours she had forgotten about him and it was good to finally see a friendly face that was not connected to heaven, hell or the apocalypse.

"Oh family stuff, nothing big just some relatives from out of town popped by and we were catching up today" she said almost making herself believe the lie she had just swung.

Nathan smiled and his eyes lit up, they did not seem as dark as they did yesterday but they still looked much older than he was.

That intrigued her but she was just happy to see a friendly familiar face that just happened to be totally gorgeous.

"Are you here with any one?" she asked scanning the room to see if any pretty girls were glaring in their direction.

Nathan just laughed amused and shook his head "no, just me... I wanted to see if you were here" he confessed with a slight flush of his cheeks.

Elle and Nathan both stared at each other for a wile, just basking in the moment then she remembered her brothers would be staring and as she looked up she saw Dean gawking with his lips pouted slightly and his brow raised.

Sam knocked his arm from the other side of the table and Dean nearly knocked his bottle of beer on the floor.

He turned to Sam and scowled at him, Sam gently shook his head at Elle in a way of apology and then turned to Dean and said something to him but she couldn't make out what.

She looked back to Nathan who had noticed her attention else where and he just stood with a straight emotionless face.

The Nathan from yesterday was back. 'Great just when we were getting somewhere' she cursed under her breath.

"Are you wanting a drink?" she asked politely, she figured she may as well do her job seeing as the situation had gone south due to Dean's intended interference.

"What would you recommend?" he asked awkwardly as if he'd never ordered a beer in his life.

"What do you like, beer, spirits, alcopops?" she asked stepping aside to let him see what was in the fridge.

He studied the fridge confused then looked along the bar at the hand pumps and then looked back to Elle blankly.

He looked so lost when it came to choosing an alcoholic drink it was funny.

"Tell you what have the house special" Elle said with a smirk as she pulled him a pint of special.

He handed her five dollars and told her to keep the change.

She smiled to herself amused, a man who actually tips.. what a novelty.

He took a seat at the bar and sipped the pint, he pulled a face that could only be describes as a cat sucking a sour lemon.

It was the funniest thing she had seen in a long time.

"You're not a drinker are you?" she said through a laugh.

Nathan scowled at the pint before taking another sip which made him pull the exact sour lemon expression as before.

"I guess not" he said as he gave up on the beverage and ordered a soda water.

His face had lightened again and his eyes were warm.

She liked Nathan and from the way things were at the moment it was probably not the best move since she had a price on her head.

The less she had to do with people the better, the less people would be hurt in this mess.

Dean leaned closer to Sam and stared in Nathan's direction as he sat and joked with Elle at the bar.

"Who do you think chuckles is?" Dean asked in his best big brother don't mess with me tone.

Sam laughed at Dean's over reaction, he could see Dean was really taking to the whole big brother protecting his baby sister thing, probably a little too much.

"Dude probably a friend" Sam replied.

"Boyfriend" Dean said questioningly.

"Not if you get in the way" Sam warned.

Dean and Sam locked eyes with each other, a war of wills was erupting at the table.

Sam wanted Elle to be left alone and allowed to have a life. He didn't want them to leave her life in tatters.

She would still have a life here when they were gone.

Dean just wanted to protect her and knock any knuckle head out who so much as even looked at her.

He was her big brother and he wanted to do his best at fulfilling that role.

With Sam he never had the problem, when ever Sam saw a girl he liked Dean would cheer him on and congratulate him when he sealed the deal but with Elle he was the opposite, if a guy looked at her with wanting eyes Dean would knock him six ways from Sunday.

Sam looked back to the bar to see Elle but she had gone.

His heart began to pump faster and he jumped up to see if she was at the other end of the bar but she wasn't.

Dean bolted from the table and scanned the room, panic striking every chord in his body.

They had only taken their eyes off of her for a split second and she had gone.

"She's probably in the bathroom or something" Sam reasoned.

Dean then stormed towards the ladies but Sam grabbed hold of his arm "dude you can't just go in there" Sam shrieked.

Dean turned to see a woman chatting to a man by a games machine "excuse me, hi" he began.

The man stared at him as if he was going to swipe at him for talking to his woman.

Dean just rolled his eyes at the man "can you do me a favour, can you just check in the ladies toilet and see if there's an Elle Yates in there" he begged.

The woman agreed and went in to the ladies, the man with her just stared at Dean with a displeased expression etched on his face.

The woman came back out and shook her head at Dean, he then turned and his eyes searched for Sam who had also disappeared now.

"Damn it, Cas where are you?" he roared as he pulled out his cell phone and went straight to Elle's number.

Elle at this point had had to change a barrel in the cellar.

It took her mere minutes to change the thing then she had to take it out back to put it with the rest of the empty barrels.

She didn't think the guys would miss her for a few minutes.

She had left Nathan at the bar drinking his soda water and promised to be right back.

She pushed the back door to the bar open that lead to a secluded yard, with a gate just for deliveries.

She pulled the empty beer barrel out and stood it beside the one's that were already there and turned to head back in when she was greeted by two men in perfectly pressed suits.

A sharp pang of fear struck her in her chest as she realised they were angels and they had come to kill her.

She back peddled but the door to the bar suddenly slammed shut behind her and she had no where to go.

Her cell phone started to blare out and she scrambled for it, praying for it to be either Sam or Dean.

She pulled it out of her jeans pocket and saw the caller ID was Dean, 'thank you God' she mentally screamed.

"Dean help me" she screamed as she managed to answer the phone but an angel made it cut off mid conversation.

She dropped the phone and grabbed for a broken parasol pole swiping it at the angels in front of her.

"That wont do anything you mud monkey" one of them laughed as he pinned her against the wall.

He had his hand around her throat and she could feel her air restricting.

With her last breath she managed to cry out for help, the only name coming to her lips being that of Castiel.


	5. I'll be alright without you

'I'll be alright without you'

The angels watched her as she fell limp with still emotionless expressions on their cold heartless faces.

They behaved as if she was a bug on the windscreen of life and just swiped.

Elle felt herself drifting away, she felt as if every ounce of air had been squeezed out of her body and she could not keep conciousness any more.

The angels stepped closer to her ready to finish the job when there was a flash of bright white light and a blast of cold air.

The two angels who had attacked Elle went flying into the wall opposite her, she blinked fighting to stay concious to see them both explode into a light show then everything fell dark.

Her eyes fell shut and she had fallen into unconsciousness.

A man stepped over the corpses of the vessels the angels had used.

He glanced back to see the black shadow of their wings on the floor of the yard, he did not seem bothered by what he had just done.

He stepped closer to Elle and bent down to get a closer look and to see if she had any injuries.

Just then the back door to the bar burst open and both Sam and Dean fell out, they saw Elle on the floor then they saw the two bodies on the floor with the shadows of the wings.

Then they saw the man who was standing over her, he still had his wings out stretched and they cast a shadow on the wall in the yard.

They both stared gob smacked at him, they could see he had saved her because they knew from Castiel that the only person who could kill an angel was another angel.

"You... you're..." Dean spluttered as he stared at the man kneeling beside his sister.

"I am Nathanel the angel of sanctification" he said as he stared back at Dean with warm eyes.

"Angel of what now?" Dean said dumbly.

"Sanctification" Sam whispered.

Dean looked at Sam with a 'I haven't a clue what the hell your on about' face.

Nathanel sighed as he checked over Elle "I pass forgiveness to those who have sinned before they cross over to heaven".

"Right so your what Zachariah's hench man" Dean spat.

Sam forced his way passed Dean and made his way over to his sister, he fell to his knee's and checked her pulse.

"She'll be fine... she just needs to rest" Nathanel said as he climbed on to his feet.

"Hang on, you're not going to try and kill her then" Dean choked confused.

Nathanel turned to face Dean and a look of sheer exasperation pained his face "no I'm not, I saved her from those two who almost managed to kill her. You two and your little pet angel were supposed to be protecting her and look what happened" he snapped.

Nathanel was not as calm and laid back as he other angels the Winchesters had met.

"Hang on every angel except for Castiel wants her dead.. why are you not going to try and kill her?" Dean ranted confused.

Nathanel continued to stare at Dean "what you actually want me to try and kill her, would that make you feel better?" the angel snapped at the man standing before him.

"No of course not.... I just don't get it, why do they want her dead and you don't?" Dean ranted angrily.

Nathanel turned to the two dead angels on the ground and then back to Dean "I have to deal with this" he said before bending down and touching both bodies with his hands and they all disappeared in a flash of bright light almost blinding the Winchesters.

"Fat lot of use he was" Dean growled as he helped Sam lift Elle off the ground and they exited by the delivery gate.

Sam laid Elle down on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair, he could not help but feel useless but he was glad to have Elle safe and in one piece.

Suddenly Dean's cell phone rang and the two men stared at each other brooding.

"You gonna answer that?" Sam asked as he looked at Dean pained and exhausted.

Dean pulled out the phone out of his jacket pocket and groaned as he saw the ID say Cas.

"Where the hell have you been? Elle was almost dead" he snarled down the phone.

Dean's eyes squinted and he balled his hands into fists. Sam knew he was getting angry and he couldn't blame him. Castiel was meant to help them protect Elle but when they really needed him he never showed.

Dean hung up the phone and snatched his keys that he had laid on the table before heading to the door.

"Dean when are you going to sleep?" Sam asked concerned.

"Sleep is a luxury I don't have right now Sammy" Dean growled as he walked out the door leaving Sam once again in the room to protect their sister.

Dean pulled up the Impala on a side road and waited, he refused to drive any further. He was running on no sleep, he was cranky and he was seriously pissed with Cas right now.

"Dean" Castiel said in a low voice from the passenger seat.

"Where the hell were you?" Dean yelled as he hit the steering wheel with his fist.

"I was collecting information" he replied.

"Oh convenient yeah, you were collecting information when the chuckle brothers were collecting my sister" Dean hissed, all his patience had gone now and he was ready to start throwing punches in the angels direction.

"I know why they want Elle dead" Castiel said calmly.

Dean's anger all melted away and was replaced with pain and fear.

His mouth was dry now and he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he knew he needed to know but deep down he didn't want to know.

"Why?" he stuttered, even though he tried he could not hide his fear from Castiel.

Castiel stared ahead out of the car window into the dark of night. Searching for the right words but everything seemed wrong.

"She is the one who Lucifer wants to bare his child" Castiel said with a hint of disgust in his usual calm voice.

Dean's mouth fell open and he choked back a scream "Lucifer wants Elle to have his child, what the.... that's nuts" he shrieked.

"This is what the angels who are after her have been told, she is the chosen one to bare Lucifer's child" the angel continued to explain.

"Why does Lucifer want a child? I mean I can hardly see the devil going along to little league games and holding play dates" Dean mocked with disgust.

"I don't know... but the thought alone is enough to make every angel in heaven bay for her blood to stop that from happening" Castiel said calmly.

"She is not becoming an incubator for the devil's devil child" Dean hissed as he thumped the steering wheel again.

"They want to kill her for that.. why not just give her some kind of anti evil contraception pill, implant or even a god damn shot.. hell tie her tubes anything but kill her" Dean cried with distress.

"There are ways around those kind of measures, Lucifer is very powerful and smart Dean, he can over come such things" Castiel stated.

"Well he ain't that smart, no man messes with my sister, I don't care if he's Lucifer or Chuck Shurley he isn't laying one filthy finger on her" Dean spat as he started the Impala and shifted into gear.

"No man ever messes with Elle" Dean growled as he drove away from the side road.

Castiel sat silent a look of fear in his eyes, his eyes kept shifting to Dean then to his feet, he could tell this was going to end badly.

"What do you know about Nathanel the angel of sanctification" Dean asked mocking the sanctification part of his title.

"He's a very powerful angel.. one of only a few who have ever met God, why?" Castiel asked curiously.

"Oh because he was the one who smited the chuckle brothers earlier and saved Elle, he's taken the form of a twenty something year old college boy, who I think Elle has the hots for by the way" Dean replied.

Castiel sat in the passenger seat shocked for a moment before disappearing.

Dean rolled his eyes as he looked to the empty seat beside him "could at least say goodbye" he mumbled as he switched on his sound system and tapped along to 'be good to yourself by Journey'.

Elle awoke to find Sam sprawled out on his motel bed and Dean asleep across the table.

She made her way to the bathroom and checked herself in the mirror, she had a bruise on her neck of a hand print.

Other than that no other injuries. She really wanted to know who had saved her.

The last thing she remembered was seeing the bright flash of light before she blacked out.

She headed back into the main room and looked for a drink. She must have been out for hours because her mouth was as dry as a sand pit in the height of summer.

All she could see was beer and cold coffee around the room.

She looked to her brothers they looked so exhausted and she didn't feel right about waking them to go get her a drink.

She bit her lip and looked to the door, it would only take a minute to go to the vender out side and get a coke, she could do it if she was quick.

Elle stepped out into the cool breeze of the morning and headed to the vender.

The breeze chilled her slightly and she rubbed her arms with her hands.

She got to the vender and fished in her pocket for some change, she knew she had some because Nathan had given her a tip last night.

As she fished in her pocket a hand came over her shoulder and inserted some money into the vender, the hand pressed the button for coke and a bottle fell down into the opening.

Elle stood frozen for a moment wondering who had crept up behind her. If it was an angel she was pretty sure they wouldn't have got her a coke,they'd have smited her.

She turned her head to meet the the deep blue eyes of Castiel and a wave of peace swept over her.

"You shouldn't be away from your brothers Elle" the angel said softly.

Elle reached for her coke and smiled at the angel "I owe you a dollar I think".

Castiel's head tilted slightly and his lips formed into a straight line on his face "no you don't" he whispered as he motioned for her to head back to the room.

"No... how about a thank you then" she smiled.

Castiel's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, he could not begin to understand why the angels didn't want to try and protect her from Lucifer and his plans.

He wanted to posses Sam's body and use that to walk earth but the angels weren't trying to kill him.

"A penny for your thoughts" Elle asked Castiel sweetly.

He smiled slightly "so much like your brother" he said softly.

Elle smiled mischievously and took Castiel's hand and lead him to a near by bench, she sat him down and looked into his eyes.

There was something about him that she couldn't explain but it calmed her.

"You should be getting back to Sam and Dean, if they wake to find you gone they will tear this place apart looking for you" he reasoned.

Elle leaned closer to Castiel and whispered softly into his ear, her breath making his skin tingle.

"I'm with you my guardian angel besides I need some fresh air or I'll start to turn a funny colour" she joked.

"Tell me oh wise one... why do the angels want me dead?" she asked, her voice serious and inquisitive.

Castiel looked up to meet her bright green eyes and he felt his heart ache, this was not the way it should be, this was not allowed and it was beyond what the angel should be feeling.

"You are Lucifer's chosen one.... the one who will bare his child" the angel stated forcing himself to look away from her and her soul searching eyes.

"Me and Lucifer.... that's ridiculous.... that's wrong... that's incest... hang on wait.. Lucifer wants to use Sam's body so that means he wants me and Sam to..... ewww that's disgusting" Elle said recoiling with disgust.

"Who the hell thought of that idea because that can't be right, surely even Lucifer isn't one for incest" she said as she screwed her face up and shook her head in disbelief.

Castiel just sat beside Elle silently, allowing her to take in the information and get her head around it even though it wasn't something that could be understood easily.

Castiel wasn't used to feeling emotions but since he had started hanging around with the Winchesters he had learned a lot and he had learned to question the angels orders and this was another time he found himself questioning what he had heard.

Was this the real reason why the angels wanted Elle dead or was it just another lie thought up by Zachariah to motivate the angels to kill her.

The last thing the angels wanted was one of Lucifer's creations walking the earth.

Eradication was the only option for them.

There must be something about Elle that was special to Lucifer for him to want her to give him a child but the angels did not know what but they were not going to take any chances.

"So they fear me hooking up with Lucifer and getting knocked up by him.... well that's just delightful.. just freaking peachy!" she blasted as she squeezed her bottle with frustration.

Castiel could see her knuckles turning white and her teeth clenched and it angered him.

"Lucifer and Michael can't posses my brother's without their permission so does that mean Lucifer can't... you know.... make me with child without my permission?" she asked the angel looking for any sign of hope in the situation thrown at her.

"Unlike using you as a vessel which he'd need your permission, to make you with child he doesn't.. he can keep you captive until you have given birth then..... you would cease to be of use" the angel replied, his voice dragged off as emotion crept in.

"Awesome so he knocks me up, holds me captive, takes my child then kills me.... romantic" Elle sniggered.

Castiel's hand shifted slightly, he wanted to take her hand and hold it, ease her a little but he knew he shouldn't.

He had changed a lot since he met Dean, he had disobeyed orders, killed fellow angels and over all just rebelled against heaven.

One more step over the line and he would be banished from heaven altogether, there would be no way back and Castiel would be powerless.

He would more or less be human and useless in the war against hell and Lucifer.

For that reason alone he had to stay true to heaven and obey orders the best he could, but he would not kill Elle.

His job was to protect the Winchesters and Elle was a Winchester as far as he was concerned.

"As long as I'm around you will be safe, I will not let anything happen to you.... also you have Nathanel guarding you, if any angel so much as attempts on your life he will rain down on them with the greatest wrath of heaven" Castiel said as he remembered what Dean had said.

The angel Nathanel had stepped in and saved Elle last night, when her life was in peril he stepped in and killed two of heavens angels.

He then remembered what Dean had said about Elle having the hots for Nathanel or more the vessel the angel possessed.

The college boy Nathan, not a great step from the truth at all.

Castiel feared Nathanel and what he could do, he would not even feel remorse for killing a fellow angel if his charge was in danger.

Castiel did not understand that when every angel in heaven wanted Elle dead Nathanel protected her, he was disobeying orders from the chain of command to protect a human.

What were his reasons?.

Elle looked to Castiel confused. She had never heard of Nathanel before but she was glad she was saved by an angel because it meant after all the things the angels had put her through or were going to put her through there were still a few good one's out there who wanted to protect and be merciful with humans.

"Nathanel... an angel saved me... but I thought they all wanted me dead" she whimpered.

"I believe you know him as another name... the angel Nathanel has been watching you for some days as a man called Nathan Cain" the angel explained.

Elle gasped as realisation set in.

The guy from college, the new guy in her class who showed up at the bar to see her when she didn't turn up to college.

The one she had the hots for, typical he'd be an angel.

She knew there was something peculiar about him but she never thought he could be an angel.

"Nathan... he's an angel..." she said aloud, Castiel nodded in response.

Elle felt every thread of her being about to break down.

The one person she thought was normal in all of this turned out to be an angel and she was thankful for him being so because if it wasn't for him she would be dead but she would just like to know one person properly who was not involved in the apocalypse and the war against Lucifer.

Elle let her head fall into her hands and she tried to hide the tears stinging her eyes from Castiel.

As she tried to hold back the tears and fight her pain she felt an arm slide around her back and gently pull her closer.

Even though it was a form of comfort it was making things worse, she just wanted to be alone and to be able to vent her anger, sadness and pain by screaming, crying and breaking things.

But right now she was paralysed and could not bring herself to pull away from the angel, every bone in her body told her to run and get away but something else said stay.

Tears began to run down her cheeks as realisation set in, everything had changed in the last few days.

Two men had crashed into life and even though they tried to protect her sometimes they made things worse.

Her mother was missing and all she wanted to do was speak to her and be near her, she missed her mother so much.

She had angels trying to kill her and could not be alone, she always had to have somebody with her or be surrounded by angel traps. It was hell.

As the tears ran and became too much for her she started to sob, she turned to Castiel and wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his chest.

'Maybe it would be better if the angels just killed her and ended the pain she was in' she thought to herself as she sobbed into Castiel's chest.

She felt him wrap her up in a tight embrace and rested his cheek on her head, she felt at peace in the angels arms.

Elle stood in the door way watching her brothers still sleeping and rubbed her eyes, they were sore and ached from the tears she has shed whilst with Castiel.

She had forced herself to walk away from the angel, she felt herself getting too attached to him and she knew there was no point because he was an angel and nothing would ever happen between them.

He was her protector but nothing else and that was the way it would always be.

As she closed the motel room door she heard one of her brothers stirring from his sleep.

"Ouch.... damn..." she heard Dean mutter as he forced himself to sit up at the table.

He had a bright red line down the right side of his face from where he had been laying across the table and she could not help but laugh.

He looked to Sam and saw that he was still sleeping soundly on the bed.

Dean eyed a news paper that was on the table and threw it at his brother making him startle awake and sit up sharply on the bed.

Dean laughed at Sam's reaction and Sam glared at him before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and sliding off the bed.

He noticed Elle stood in the door way and snapped awake "everything Ok, do you need anything?" he asked his sister with a soulful gaze.

"Yeah.... still breathing.. and I'm ok thanks.. Cas got me a drink earlier" she replied.

Dean's eyes widened "Cas got you a drink..... interesting" he responded in his usual husky voice.

"How did he know you wanted a drink?" Sam asked intrigued.

Elle stared at the floor avoiding all eye contact with her brothers because she knew the second they knew she had left the room they would freak and probably tie her to a chair so she couldn't do it again.

"I nipped out to the vender when you guys were asleep" she said hesitantly.

She could feel Dean's eyes burning into her from the table and she could feel their disappointment lingering in the air.

"You nipped out" Dean said in an exasperated voice "nipped out when you have a target on your back and the angels are running around playing Robin Hood" he snapped but she knew it was from concern and worry and not anger.

"Castiel was around" she said defensively.

"For once... what if he wasn't though?" Dean snapped angrily.

"Then I'm sure Nathanel would be around.... after all he did save me last night" she snapped back, if Dean wanted to get stroppy then so could she.

"Oh yes Nathanel the boy wonder.. America's next top model arc angel" Dean mocked.

"Well he did save me... Cas said so" she replied with an aggravated voice.

She didn't want to get into an argument with her brother's but she couldn't help it.

They forgot that it wasn't just them having to deal with the apocalypse, she was involved and she didn't need reminding every two minutes that she was on every angels hit list.

"Cas said so.... well good on Cas... at least there's one angel doing his job and it's not Castiel" Dean raged with anger.

He was getting sick of Castiel letting them down and not doing his bit to protect Elle.

"Castiel does his best... he has orders to obey and at least Nathan tried to save me" Elle snapped defending the angel.

"Well then why don't you go to Nathanel and let him protect you.. we didn't plan on babysitting during the apocalypse" Dean yelled at his sister out of anger.

Her face fell as she fought back the tears, she didn't want to be a problem for them but it looked like that was what it was.

She was nothing but a problem.

"Dean stop it" Sam yelled trying to break the argument up and stop his brother from saying anything else stupid before it was too late.

Elle had heard everything she needed to hear... she knew deep down she wasn't wanted here and she didn't care if the angels were out to get her she wasn't going to hang around with people who didn't want her.

Elle stormed over to the bed she had spent the night on and grabbed her bag, she stuffed a few things into it and pushed passed Sam who had tried to intervene in her walking out.

She threw the door open and stormed out, Sam ran after her and grabbed her arm in an attempt to stop her from leaving but all she did was push him off and glare at him.

"I don't need you two I can manage on my own.. who needs people who are responsible for the apocalypse anyway.. you think you are so good Dean the big I am but remember... it was you who broke the first seal and started all this crap and you Sam.. the demon blood junkie" she snarled as she stood her ground with the Winchester's.

She saw the hurt on Sam's face and turned away, she knew Sam wasn't to blame but right now she was so angry she could kill.

Elle made her way to her Chrysler that had been parked in the motel parking lot for the past few days, at least she had her car and could get away from the Winchester's.

She opened the door and flung her bag on to the passenger seat, she took one last look back at Sam who was staring after her with a deep sadness in his eyes.

She almost felt sorry for him but then saw Dean appear at the door and she felt the pang of anger strike up again.

She jumped into her car and drove away, she had no idea where she was going all she knew was that she had to get away from Dean and his stroppy behaviour.

She had enough to deal with and she needed people around her who would help her, protect her and not end up snapping at her.

They were not the only one's affected by the rising of Lucifer but Dean sure as hell acted like it.

Elle could feel her eyes beginning to blur and sting from the tears that were welling up. She was sick of crying now.

She had cried more in the past two days than she had in months and it was all because of the Winchester's.

Elle kept driving until she came to a cross roads and stopped.

She was out in the open alone and angels could kill her at any moment, she had no protection, no angel traps and Castiel wouldn't leave the Winchester's so she was alone and it hurt.

She rested her head against the steering wheel and felt so lost and alone.

She had never felt this bad, not even when she was a child and her mother would go away and leave her with a baby sitter.

She always knew her mother would come back to her but now she didn't even know where her mother was or if she was even alive.

All she wanted was a comforting shoulder to cry on but she was truly alone.


	6. Play the game tonight

'Play the game tonight'

Elle sat at the cross roads for what was almost an hour just thinking, crying and fighting with her inner demons.

She knew she was being irrational and that running away was a big mistake but she honestly felt alone and nothing but a problem to the people she was around.

People who she thought were her friends ended up having alternative motives for being her friend.

All people seemed to be doing lately were letting her down and using her for their own selfish little projects.

She thought Dean actually wanted her around because she was his sister and that he wanted to protect her but when it all boiled down he felt obligated to look out for her.

Not because she was his flesh and blood but because she played a part in the apocalypse.

She was just another pawn in the game between heaven and hell, he didn't want her around because he cared about her he just wanted her around so Lucifer could not use her in his plans and he was all for rebelling against the angels so keeping her alive pissed the angels off and Dean was happy with that.

So he was getting one up on both sides.

If she died he wouldn't care. He still had Sam and that was all he cared about.

Elle was just John Winchester's dirty little secret that nobody knew about.

The only beings aware of it were the angels and they wanted her existence ended.

Maybe being dead would be the best option, at least then she wouldn't have to deal with the apocalypse, Lucifer, the Winchester's and the angels.

She would cease to exist and she would be blissfully unaware of everything.

But knowing her luck she would go straight to hell and end up on the rack, she would be tortured for having Winchester blood and the misery would start all over again.

She gripped her steering wheel and squinted at the cross roads sign, she had no idea where she could go because no matter where she went the angels would find her and eventually kill her.

She was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off, if the angels didn't find her then Lucifer would and then she would become his bitch.

Somehow death by angels didn't seem as bad as mating with the anti Christ. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about being Lucifer's mate.

It sickened her to the core, she would actually rather die than have Lucifer lay one finger on her and the thought of being with him in that way made her want to be physically sick.

It was no doubt the most disgusting not to mention disturbing thing she had ever heard in her entire life.

With a shudder she put the Chrysler into gear and blindly took the exit to the left of the cross roads, she would decide where to go when she got to the interstate but until then she would just keep driving.

She fished around in her glove box for a CD to play, anything to occupy her mind and stop her from thinking about all the problems and trouble she was in.

the silence of the car was becoming unbearable.

She pulled out a loose disc that she found and inserted it into the CD player and waited to see what would play.

"Highway run into the midnight sun, wheels go round and round, you're on my mind, restless hearts sleep alone tonight, sendin' all my love along the wire" began to blare out in the car.

Elle felt her heart flip as she heard the words of the song, she was sure she had left this CD in the house back in the HI-FI, so how was it in the car.

She continued to listen to the song as it played taking in the words and letting it settle her.

It made a change to having to listen to Dean's same five albums over and over again, even though she loved AC/DC she liked a variety of music and it was good to listen to something different.

"Oh girl you stand by me, I'm forever yours.... faithfully" rang the song making a tear come her eye.

Suddenly the song wasn't helping any more and other stupid thoughts were starting to bounce around her head.

Thoughts of the one person she knew she shouldn't be having feelings for but never the less she could not help it, her mind kept going back to the same person and even though she kept telling herself to stop being stupid and to get her feelings under control she couldn't.

The person kept popping into her mind and the image of his face made her feel better when she was beginning to lose all hope.

She could spend every hour of the day looking and listening to him and not get bored, she could stare into his eyes forever and never want to give up.

He was the most amazing person she had ever met and even though part of her feared him every other fibre of her being loved him.

Elle hit the skip button because she could not listen to the song any more, it was ripping her heart out from the inside.

'Great... associations with one of my favourite songs now.. this sucks' she cursed to herself as she drove along a back road.

She was blindly driving along and wasn't even concentrating on the road, every turn she took was instinct, she had gone into auto pilot and was just letting her mind take her anywhere,

as long as she was away from her home town and the Winchester's she would be fine.

She would no doubt end up dead but at least she wouldn't have to have any more arguments with that stupid stubborn sonofabitch brother of hers.

"Here we stand worlds apart, hearts broken in two, sleepless nights, losing ground, I'm reaching for you" chimed the new song she had put on.

Elle glared at the in car stereo as the song once again took the piss.

She gritted her teeth and could feel the tension building up in her head, this was becoming ridiculous.

She could not listen to music any more without it reminding her of the situation she was in or the man she found herself missing with all her heart.

She decided to just leave the song on and try and concentrate on the road ahead.

She wasn't too sure where she was now, all she knew was that she was on a back road somewhere and that she must be miles from her home town.

Knowing that struck fear into her heart, she was completely on her own now and she had no way of fighting off angels if they were to attack.

She could not remember the symbols for the angel traps that the guys had scrawled all over the motel room but saying that she didn't really fancy having to hack into her arms to use her blood to paint with.

Sam sat in the passenger seat of the Impala fidgeting and looking uncomfortable as he waited for Dean to come out of the college.

Dean was sure Elle would be near by so decided to stay in town looking for her, he didn't think she would be so angry or so stupid as to actually leave town and put her self in even more danger than she already was.

The door to the college building opened and out walked Dean, he looked worried now, more than he did before.

He had been to see if Elle had gone to class but when he got there she was no where to be seen and her professor hadn't seen her or heard from her.

Dean began to panic and his heart started to ache, he had single handedly caused his sister to run off and he had there fore put her in more danger.

He didn't want to admit it but he really was a dick, he had alienated his relationship with her because of his hot headed temper and jealousy over Castiel.

Him and Sam spent every minute of the day protecting her and she just ignored their warnings and ventured outside on her own with no protection and just expected Castiel or Nathanel to be around in case something went wrong.

She'd had angels attempt on her life every night and Castiel was no where to be seen on either occasion.

But yet she still thought the sun shined out of his lilly white ass and trusted him to protect her when really the only people protecting her and being honest with her were Sam and Dean and all they got for their efforts was a big screw you.

Nathanel had protected the night before but they did not know his reasons. For all they knew he could have been working in league with Lucifer and keeping her alive so she would be able to bare Lucifer's child.

Nathanel never explained why he saved her and that alone made the Winchester's suspicious.

As Dean was making his way back to the Impala the doors to the college building flew open and out stormed a very pissed off Nathan

he stormed over to Dean shouting his name as he went, the look of fury blazing in his eyes.

Dean sighed aloud and turned back to Nathan with a grimace as he saw the fury aflame in the angels eyes.

"You lost her" the angel barked as he came with in inches of Dean's face.

Sam's hand trembled on the door handle as he hurried to open it and jump out and intercede in the argument that was seconds from erupting between the angel and his brother.

"I didn't lose her, she ran away" Dean barked back.

Sam scurried around the car and jumped in between his brother and the angry angel.

"Why did she run away?" snapped the angel as his eyes scorched in to Dean's.

Dean averted his eyes from the angel and swallowed hard, he didn't want to admit he'd lost it with her and the result was she had ran away from them because he told her to.

"We had an argument and she upped and left" Sam said softly as he tried to calm the situation.

"She upped and left" the angel retorted.

He had a look of sheer disbelief on his face, his dark eyes glazed with emotion.

He wasn't the usual marble emotionless sorry excuse for a higher being as the rest of the angels, all except Castiel who was starting to show more emotions in every passing day.

Nathanel looked and acted like a human.

He had the looks of a male model what with his perfectly chiselled jaw line, dark deep soul searching brown eyes, a perfectly styled mop of dark brown hair and he even had a few freckles on his ivory other wise flawless face.

Even though he was an angel he wasn't the usual cold as ice, two chord vocal dick with wings that the guys were used to dealing with.

This guy showed anger, he showed disappointment and he even showed attraction.

Sam remembered the looks he was giving Elle in the bar the other night, the way he blushed when he told her he had come to see her.

"She went out on her own this morning and she could have been hurt" Sam reasoned as he took over the conversation from his brother who was only getting more agitated and wound up by the angel.

"But she wasn't" replied the angel as he scratched at his neck where his hair was tickling.

"No.. Castiel was present and looked out for her" replied Sam with a slight polite smile.

Nathanel's eyes widened a little with the mention of the other angel.

"Castiel" he smirked as a glint of amusement crept into his eyes.

"Yes Castiel... you got a problem with him or something?" chimed Dean as he jumped back into the conversation, he had seen the glint in Nathanel's eyes as he spoke the name of the other angel.

Nathanel just stared at Dean, he was observing him and reading every expression on the man's face.

He knew from things he had heard that Dean had a problem with angels but somehow he and the angel Castiel had formed a bond and that intrigued him.

"Not at all... Castiel is a good soldier, he just needs to learn obedience again and he'd be one of the best angels in heaven" replied Nathanel calmly.

Dean and Nathanel continued to have a stare off until Sam broke the silence.

"We need to find Elle before the angels..... the other angels do".

Nathanel looked to Sam and nodded his head "yes we do"he replied.

Nathanel was still angry and the fury still raged in his eyes but his manner had calmed and he was willing to help the Winchester's find their sister.

"Castiel will be able to help" Dean rushed as he climbed into the drivers seat of the Impala.

Sam made his way back to the passengers door and took one last look at Nathanel, he still didn't know why he wanted to save Elle but he was just glad they had another angel on board to help who did not want her dead.

Together there was four of them to fight heaven and hell for her, he just hoped they were not too late and that the angels hadn't already got to her.

Elle glanced at her gas gage in the car and she was almost on empty, she hadn't filled up her car in almost a week but she was going to have to fill up soon if she planned on driving any further.

She saw a road sign in the distance and as she got closer she saw it said eighteen miles until the next town.

She knew she would not have enough fuel to get her to the next town and that worried her. She did not want to break down in the middle of nowhere especially not when she had angles on her back.

Just then she saw a small sign say 'gas 2 miles' and she smiled.

She wanted to say thank God but that sounded too cliché and she was seriously questioning God in all of this.

If he really did exist then why was he allowing all the cruel and evil things to happen to all the innocent people.

If God did exist then how had he allowed Lucifer to escape hell in the first place.

"God if you're really up there you should seriously reconsider your staff" she said aloud.

The small gas station came into view and she sighed a sign of relief, she could now fill up and be on her way.

She could maybe find her mother and see her before she was killed, she could not imagine not having the chance to say good bye to her mother.

It cut her too deep and hurt more than anything.

Elle pulled up at a filling tank and got out, she didn't even bother looking at the price of a gallon of gas because no matter how expensive it was she still had to get it.

She quickly filled up the car and headed into the gas station to pay.

She scanned the fridge and picked up a couple of bottles of water and caffeine drinks to keep her awake as she drove.

As she made her way over to the cash register she saw the man behind the counter staring at her.

He had an oddly plain expressionless face and deep spine chilling eyes.

He had slight grey hair and was overly built, he didn't look like the typical gas station worker.

He looked like some executive type, almost mafia boss like and then there was the suit he was wearing.

Who wears a suit to work in a gas station she thought to herself as she placed her goods down on the counter.

"Just the gas and these please" she said politely as she never took her eyes off the man behind the counter.

He just stared back at her and then a slight smile that could only be described as being overly creepy and nerve shredding spread across his face.

"Of course.. going anywhere nice?" he asked as he tapped on the cash register.

"Seeing where I end up" she replied nervously.

There was something about the man that put her on edge and she didn't like it.

"That'll be $15" he said in a loud overly cheery voice that creeped her out all the more.

She was expecting him to pull out a shot gun and pep her full of rounds and then take her out back and hack her up to pieces.

She handed over the money and grabbed her things and hurried to the door.

"Oh by the way it was a very impressive move... leaving Sam and Dean" the man said in a cold icy voice which made her stop dead in her tracks, how the hell did he know about that.. unless he was an angel or maybe a demon.. oh hell.

Elle turned to the man expecting to find a pair of coal black eyes staring back but instead she was met by a smirking face, the man's eyes danced in their sockets as he stared at her.

"How do you know about that?" she managed to choke as her throat began to feel dry and sore.

"I know everything" he replied smugly.

"Who are you?" Elle demanded which made the man smirk all the more.

"I'm a higher power... a more civilised being than... well you and your brothers" he replied, his voice became serious and his eyes changed. They became menacing and then she knew.

"Angel" she growled as she tried her best to stand her ground but she could feel her knee's starting to tremble.

"Not just any angel.. you see unlike your garden variety angel like Castiel, I actually do what is supposed to be done because.... well I make the rules and give the orders" he smiled smugly.

"Congratulations you must be Zachariah" Elle snarled at the smug angel who was trying his best to intimidate her.

The angel began to clap his hands and started to walk out from behind the counter.

"Very smart... I can see why you were chosen" Zachariah chirped as he walked closer to Elle.

"I like to think it was for my assets and my cute ass" she mocked as she stiffened up as the angel came closer to her.

He stopped and stared at her for a moment then laughed "well you're defiantly your brothers sister aren't you?".

"Lucky me huh" she spat as she pulled her face away from the angels.

"D'ya mind..... personal space" she snarled as Zachariah leaned in and smirked into her face.

"I have a suggestion for you" he began.

"How about you shove your suggestions up your self righteous ass you sonofabitch" Elle snapped.

Zachariah only stared at her as she hurled abuse at him, he was becoming inpatient with her insolence.

"You can stop all of this... you can stop the running, the angels baying for your blood, your brothers wont have to babysit you and Lucifer wont get you".

Elle's eyes focused on the angel before her, she knew he was full of crap and didn't trust him in the slightest.

"Really and all it'll cost me is what?" she snapped in response.

"Look at it as more of a sacrifice, you know you have a big part in the apocalypse and you can end it.. you can easily get out of being a pawn in the fight between heaven and hell. You can single handedly end all plans that Lucifer has for you" he explained.

Elle listened to him but did not trust a word that came out of his mouth.

"All you have to do is take your self out of the game.... all you have to do is end your existence" he confessed.

Elle felt her head begin to spin, he wanted her to kill herself and then that would be it for her, the end of her part in the apocalypse.

"You want me to gank myself" she scoffed.

She could feel herself screaming with laughter on the inside, it was too ironic and so typical.

"You want me to kill myself and then it's back to just you, Castiel and the Winchesters in your little piss fit" she said coldly as she retook control over her body and willed her legs to stop trembling.

"We gave the Winchester's a choice... either they killed you or we did.. now I'm giving you the choice you either kill your self or we do because lets face it the Winchester's wont, Dean may have tortured in hell but when it comes to family he's just a big sap" Zachariah mocked.

Elle scowled at the angel, she could feel her will taking over and she felt stronger with in herself, she didn't feel as scared of the angel any more.

Something in side her was giving her the will and the power to deal with the situation.

She gripped the bottles she had bought and turned away from the angel and walked towards the door, she could feel Zachariah's eyes burning into her as he watched her walk away.

She pulled the door open and walked out, if he killed her now then so be it.

She hurried to her car and as she looked up she met the cold gaze of Zachariah again.

She froze on the spot 'damn it' she cursed in her head.

"I tried doing this the nice way.... but you're such a typical Winchester, out for the glory of the fight and you don't care about any one else" the angel snapped.

"Bull, I care more than you" she yelled back.

"You have a chance to take yourself out of the fight, Sam and Dean can then concentrate on the fight with Lucifer and not have to worry about protecting you but you would rather put them and everybody else in danger.... haven't enough people died because of you?" he boomed,

Elle stared back at the angel confused, as far as she was aware no body had died because of her so where had he got that notion from?.

"No body has died because of me" she said back calmly.

Zachariah's face lit up and his eyes narrowed at her "is that so...... tell me Eleanore, when did you last hear from your mother? she went to Connecticut with Ellen Harvelle on a hunt didn't she?".

Elle felt her heart sink as what Zachariah said rung in her head.

She hadn't heard from her mother in over a week but she couldn't be dead could she?.

She was her mother, if she was dead then she'd feel it.. Zachariah had to be messing with her head.


	7. Only the young

'Only the young'

Castiel stood staring at the congregation of angels before him, for the first time in a long wile he had a look of anger and bitterness on his face.

His eyes were blazing with fury and he wanted answers and he didn't care who he hurt to get them.

Anna saw Castiel strolling towards them and stopped what she was saying to another angel.

"Castiel" she called as he walked towards her.

The other two angels stopped and watched him as he got closer to the once fallen angel.

Without hesitation he lifted his hand up and smacked her across the face causing her to recoil with shock.

He had never showed violence towards her in all the years he had known her but now it was different, she could sense something about him was different.

The other angels just watched not getting involved, they knew this was not their fight.

"I want answers Anna" he growled at the angel as his eyes focused on her with sheer revulsion.

"Castiel I understand why you are angry" she cried but the angel did not care. He came for answers and he was going to get them.

"You understand nothing" he roared as Anna backed away from him.

She had never seen him like this and it confused her.

"Elle is a danger to us and the war" Anna tried to reason but Castiel glared at her all the more for speaking her name.

"Elle is a girl, a normal girl who now has a price on her head and I want to know who gave the order" he boomed, he was now talking to all the angels in the room and not just Anna.

"It came from the top of the chain of command" Anna replied.

Castiel laughed, she had never seen him laugh before and it made her all the more worried.

"Chain of command... you mean the same kind of chain of command Uriel had going on?" the angel snapped.

Anna's eyes narrowed as she listened to Castiel, she knew all about Uriel's lies and false orders because she was the one who had killed him when he was killing the angels.

"Ask yourselves this... why would God want an innocent girl killed, he would want us to save her and protect her from Lucifer and his plans.. if there are any plans by Lucifer" he demanded..

His voice rang out in the room and it made Anna think but the other angels just stood calm, unphased by the angels out burst.

"I'll ask again who gave the order" he demanded the other angels to give him an answer.

An angel with short blonde hair stepped forwards and she concentrated on Castiel before answering.

"Zachariah gave us the order and he will get what he wants" the angel replied as she pulled out a silver dagger and launched at Castiel with it.

Anna gasped as she witnessed this and turned to the other angel who had been speaking with her and saw him pull out another dagger from his sleeve.

They were both in on it and they were going to try kill her and Castiel.

Castiel flew at the angel who had attacked him and hit her and knocked her to the floor. He restrained her and grabbed the dagger from her hand.

Without hesitation he rammed it into her neck and there was a crack and a flicker of white light as the angel inside the vessel was killed.

The other angel grabbed Anna by the throat and held her up as he pulled the dagger back ready to ram it into her.

Castiel came up behind him and gripped his hand and smashed it against the wall infront of the angel forcing the dagger to fall to the ground.

He picked up the dagger as the other angel let go of Anna and wheeled on Castiel.

Castiel knocked the other angel to the ground and leaned over him with his hand on his throat, he glared into the angels eyes and demanded him to tell him why the hit had been ordered on Elle.

The angel just laughed at Castiel "it is actually really funny Castiel because you are going to fall because of that little whore and she'll be dead and you'll have nothing" the other angel laughed.

Castiel's eyes intensified with fury as the angel called Elle a whore and laughed about her dying.

"Why does Zachariah want her dead and tell me the truth, no Lucifer lies" Castiel snarled as he held the dagger to the angels throat.

The angel suddenly felt in fear for his life and swallowed hard, he took a deep breath and his eyes shot up to Anna who was now stood over him watching Castiel and listening.

"She's a chosen one..." the angel cried.

"I said tell me the truth, her being a chosen one for Lucifer isn't the truth" Castiel hissed into the angels ear.

"She is a chosen one but.... but not for Lucifer, she was chosen for God" the angel continued to confess.

Anna stared shocked and confused, her eyes begging Castiel for forgiveness from the actions she had taken for Zachariah.

"Chosen for God why and how?" Castiel asked holding the dagger closer to the angels throat.

The angel began to shake under Castiel's force "When Azazel was choosing the special children for Lucifer's army, God sent Nathanel to earth to choose a select few for his army to fight against Lucifer when the time came, God always knew Lucifer would rise and walk earth again and he wanted a strong army to fight him... an army of angels and humans." the angel replied.

"How does Elle fit into all this?" Castiel asked sternly.

The angel shuffled under Castiel's force only making Castiel push the dagger closer to the angels throat.

"Nathanel chose ten people to fight for heaven, ten people he chose over the past one hundred years, people who were chosen and given a set path to follow in life, a specific space in time to die and on their death they would become angels of the lord.. Elle is a chosen one by Nathanel and Zachariah found out God's plan and acted on it. He wants Lucifer to win so Zachariah made the order to kill each of the ten people chosen by Nathanel" the angel explained as he fought for his life.

"How many of the ten are dead?" Anna asked as she joined in the conversation.

"Six of them are dead, Elle is the next one on the list.. she must be killed before the 4th April" the angel choked.

"Why the 4th April?" Castiel snapped.

"Because that is the date she is meant to die to become an angel, her set death is to be mugged and shot dead... humans can only become angels if they die a self righteous death, either self sacrifice or murder" the angel squealed.

"Why are you telling us that" Anna asked confused.

"Because if a chosen one commits suicide its a sin and they will be damned and sent straight to hell... and if Zachariah can't get angels to kill Elle then he'll force her to commit suicide" the angel replied calmly.

"For Lucifer to win this war Zachariah needs the chosen one's dead but wont that be classed as murder and that would be self righteous death so they would become angels any way" Anna stated confused.

"No.. each of the six people who have been killed so far all killed in their defence, they killed the innocents being possessed by either the demons or the angels using the vessels, they did not kill the angels or demons, they killed the human being used by the angel or the demon and that is a sin, there for they sinned and were damned" the angel once again explained.

"But Nathanel is the angel of sanctification, couldn't he pass forgiveness to the chosen one's?" Anna asked confused.

"No... murder is a sin and therefore Nathanel could not pass forgiveness, it's all part of Zachariah's plan" the angel replied.

Castiel stood up releasing the angel he had interrogated, he stared down at the angel on the floor with anger in his eyes.

"Finally one last question... why have you chosen to disobey God and join Zachariah in this fight?" Castiel asked sternly.

The angel licked his lips and smirked "because humanity are not worth the hassle and I'm tired of the war, I just want paradise and this all to be over... is that so selfish?" he smirked.

"It is when innocent people have to die" Castiel snarled as he plunged the dagger deep into the angels neck.

Castiel dropped the dagger and walked away from Anna who was stood staring in shock at the two dead bodies in front of her.

Castiel had killed two angels with in minutes and it was as if he felt nothing regarding it.

He had changed, Castiel had become more human and more vengeful.

Nathanel stood waiting by a tree in a park, he blended in so well, he just looked like a college boy waiting for his friends but he was far from that.

Nathanel was an angel who was thousands of years old and he fought solely for God and heaven.

He had taken the orders from God to find and select people worthy of becoming angels and he had chosen Elle.

Nathanel looked up to see Dean and Sam strolling towards him across the park.

"What a novelty... an angel who asks us to come to him, at least it's refreshing, you don't just pop up in the bathroom" Dean joked.

Nathanel's gaze met that of Sam's and he had to force himself to not smite him on the spot.

Sam had evil running through his veins and Nathanel could feel it, it was like a polar force repelling the angel. It made every ounce of his being ache.

"This better be good" Dean said in his husky voice as he sat down on the bench and just stared at the lake running by the park.

"I need to explain the situation to you" Nathanel replied calmly.

Dean nodded his head as he pulled out his cell phone and began to type a message to Bobby, he had asked Bobby to get any hunters with in a fifty mile radius to keep an eye out for Elle and her car.

"Elle is not a chosen one for Lucifer, she is a chosen one for God... I chose her myself almost twenty one years ago. God asked me to find him ten humans worthy of becoming angels up on death and I went out and searched for the perfect worthy souls and I found Elle. She was two weeks old and on life support. She could have died then and there, she was almost two months early and she had problems with her lungs and heart. But as I was looking over her incubator I felt her soul and she was so strong, so perfect, so good I could not allow her to die so I chose her and watched her all her life. Zachariah wants her dead because on the 4th April she is meant to die and become an angel... Zachariah must stop her from becoming an angel so Lucifer can win the war" Nathanel explained to the Winchester's.

Dean sat in shock clutching his cell phone, he hadn't even realised it had been ringing for almost two minutes repeatedly.

Sam leaned over and took the phone from his brother's hand and answered it.

"Hello" Sam said softly.

"Sam... where's Dean?" asked Castiel in his usual smooth, calm and wise voice.

Sam glanced at Dean who was still frozen in silence staring into the lake.

"He's here but he's not able to speak at the moment" Sam replied to the angel who had just called.

"Sam it's Elle..... I know why the angels want her dead" Castiel rushed.

"Because she's a chosen one by God.. she's to be an angel up on her death" Sam said softly as he fought back a tear.

"Yes... how do you know?" asked Castiel confused.

"Nathan told us... we are with him now" Sam replied as he looked to the angel who was still standing by the tree.

He could see the repulsion in his eyes as he looked at Sam and it actually hurt Sam but he knew the angel could not help it, it was just who he was and after all Sam had hyped up on demon blood for months and no matter how much Sam refused to believe it, he had evil inside of him.

Castiel stood by the lake waiting for Dean to arrive, this place was becoming a regular meeting spot for the Winchester's and the angels.

But Castiel did not mind waiting here. It was a relaxing spot he only wished Elle was here with him and that she was safe.

Castiel had tried to find her all day but he could not sense her or find her.

He knew that Zachariah must have blocked him from sensing her that was the only explanation he had right now.

The other explanation being that she was dead and Castiel knew that if she was dead he would feel it, he would feel the loss.

"Castiel are you trying to get banished from heaven? Because you are going the right way about it. Are you prepared to fall and lose your grace because of a insignificant puny human?" asked the mocking vile voice of Zachariah.

Castiel could feel him stood behind him but he refused to face the sorry excuse of an angel.

"She is not an insignificant human... if she was you wouldn't want her dead" replied Castiel calmly.

"I'll rephrase it for you shall I.... are you trying to get banished from heaven because you are going the right way about it... being in love with a vile disgusting human" Zachariah smirked.

"Elle is anything but a vile disgusting human, the only vile disgusting thing here is you and I will stop you.. I will end you and that's a promise" Castiel said sharply as he continued to stare out across the lake.

"Well not before your little girlfriend is dead huh" mocked Zachariah before he disappeared.

Castiel could feel that Zachariah had gone and he was left reeling. He wanted to find Zachariah and end him now.

He wanted to find and save Elle but he had no idea where to start, he knew the only way to find her was to call on other angels but because he was disconnected from heaven he could not just call on them.

He heard the Impala pull on and he began to walk towards it to meet Dean.

He had a lot running around in his mind, he was more than considering disobedience now he was the poster boy for rebelling against the angels and he didn't care.

The only important thing right now was finding Elle and saving her before it was too late.

He would deal with the whole her being killed on the 4th April when he came to it, but right now he had to save her from the angels who were out to kill her.

The one's who worked for Zachariah and did not care that they were disobeying God and just wanted the end to come and have paradise once again.

Dean saw him walking towards the Impala and he saw the look of distress on the angels face and it shook him.

He was not used to seeing Castiel like this.

Castiel opened the car door and sat in, Dean just stared at him shocked, Cas usually just appeared in the car he never used the door unless they were in open places full of people.

Right now it was almost midnight and there was nobody around, so why was he using the car door?.

"Your angel powers on the blink or something?" Dean asked mockingly.

Castiel just shook his head "no they work just fine.. I'm just getting used to not using them" he replied with a twist of sadness in his usually calm and cool voice.

"Why?" Dean questioned curiously.

"Because I fear I may not have my abilities much longer" Castiel answered.

Dean cocked his brow confused "why is Zachariah gonna strip you of them or something?".

Castiel just stared coldly out of the car window into the darkness of the park, his soul felt as dark as the night right now and it didn't bother him.

"I am considering falling" he replied coldly.

Dean turned to face him shocked and bewildered "why?" he choked with shock.

"Because sooner or later it's going to happen... because I am in love with Elle and an angel and a human can not be together, so I'd take becoming a human just to be with her" Castiel replied leaving Dean staring in shock and astonishment.


	8. Hold on

'Hold on'

Elle sat alone on the bonnet of her car just out side Connecticut drinking a beer and thinking.

The conversation she had had with Zachariah still ringing in her head, she had drove all day and most of the night just to reach Connecticut and now she was merely miles from ground zero where her mother and Ellen Harvelle had gone on a hunt she had stopped.

She was terrified of what she would find when she stepped into that town, she didn't care if it was over run by demons or a variety of supernatural beings the only thing she feared finding was her mother dead.

She balanced on the bonnet and swigged from the bottle trying to clear her head but nothing worked.

She still had Zachariah's vile face in her mind, his taunting words and his suggestion he had given her.

She threw her head back and laughed "he wants me to gank myself... what a joke" she laughed as she swigged more beer.

Elle had managed to walk away from the angel at the gas station, as she got into her car and speeded away she could see his solemn face staring at her in her rear view mirror.

It made a shiver run down her spine because she knew that would not be the end of it.

Zachariah would not just let her escape, he had a plan and she knew it.

She just didn't know what the plan was but she was sure it would be a sick twisted one that would no doubt rip her world apart even more than it already was.

As she sat on her bonnet staring out across the lights below of Connecticut the wind blew her hair and froze the tears that had began to run down her cheek.

She felt more alone now than ever and she really was alone, she had left her brother's in a heated argument, she had left her protection, she had left the man she was falling in love with or more the fact had fallen in love with and it hurt, she had left all her friends and now her mother was most likely dead.

She was alone in the world and didn't have a soul to turn to.

Elle finished off the last of the beer in the bottle and flung it down against a rock and listened to it ping and crack as it hit on impact.

If only she could break the angels as easily she would be fine.

Elle slid off the bonnet and slipped in behind the wheel and turned the key to start the car. She knew she had to find her mother and Ellen even if they were dead. She had to know.

She checked the rear view mirror and gasped as her eyes met with those of the red head angel who had tried to kill her a few days earlier.

Elle sat frozen and gripped the wheel, what the hell was this bitch doing in her car?.

"It's OK I'm not going to hurt you" hushed the angel with a slight smile.

Elle narrowed her eyes at the red head in the rear view mirror and scowled "sorry if I don't trust a word that comes out of your mouth but after all you did try and kill me the other night" Elle snapped as she kept eye contact in the mirror.

Anna sat forwards and leaned closer to Elle "I know and I'm sorry, I was obeying orders.. I apologise for that, I had been told lies and I believed them.. I should have known better" she said calmly.

"Really... well it's going to take more than a pathetic apology to swing me sister" Elle snarled as she put the car in gear and moved off.

"I understand you're angry and can not trust angels now because of it but trust me... I am here to help" the angel said softly.

Elle just smirked as she drove, trust an angel, she had to be kidding, not to mention an angel that had already tried to kill her.

"Why would I trust you or any other dick with wings?" Elle spat as she noticed that the angel was still in the back of her car.

"Because I'm going to help you" she replied.

"Still don't trust angels or want anything to do with them" Elle growled.

Anna suddenly appeared in the passenger seat and glanced at Elle. Elle felt her anger boil and she gripped the steering wheel tighter trying to contain her anger and fury towards the angel who was invading her privacy.

"How are you going to help me?" Elle asked harshly, her eyes shooting to the red head and turning back to the road as she curled her lip in anger.

"I am going to protect you and keep you alive. Zachariah lied to the angels about why he wanted you killed" Anna replied calmly.

"Really.... and what Zachariah just confessed this to you out of the goodness of his heart" Elle mocked with a bitter smirk.

"No... Zachariah did not tell me... one of Zachariah's most loyal and obedient angels told me" she replied.

Elle shook her head in disbelief "not that loyal and obedient then, telling Zack's deep dark secrets" Elle smirked.

"He had no choice... it was tell or die..."Anna replied with a twist of remorse in her voice.

"Tell or die... really... and who was this grand interrogator that had the big bad angel fearing for his life" Elle mocked in amusement.

Anna turned her head to face Elle and just stared at her for a moment in disbelief.

"The only angel willing to fall and lose everything for you so show some respect" Anna spat.

Elle's eye's shot to Anna in confusion and wonder. The only angel willing to fall for her, that made no sense, no angel would be willing to fall for her she was nothing to the angels except for a threat.

"Who interrogated the angel?" Elle asked in an almost whisper, her heart skipped as the words that Anna had said repeated in her head.

Elle feared Anna's answer so she mentally started playing enter sandman by metallica in her head.

Anna just stared at her in silence as if she knew she was not listening, she sat waiting until she had got Elle's attention.

Elle noticed Anna had not spoke yet and she felt her heart flip over and over.

Part of her wanted to know which angel she meant so much to but part of her feared that it would be the one she did not want.

Elle knew she had fallen in love with an angel and even though she tried to deny it, it was true.

The thought of the man she loved putting his entire existence on the line for her made her heart break.

She knew that if Anna said the name of the angel that she loved then she would probably end up turning the car around and bombing it back to Boston to stop him from doing anything stupid.

However if she said the name of the other angel then Elle would feel bad but she'd continue to ground zero and hope that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

Elle bit her lip and waited for Anna to speak. As she drove Elle's mind was hurdling at a great speed to complete despair.

Suddenly a man appeared in the road, he was just standing still in the middle of the back road and did not even blink as the car headed for him.

Elle turned the wheel to try and avoid him and as she did the car hit a boulder and her car spun then flipped over and ended up in a field on it's top.

Elle felt her head spinning as she tried to regain composure and tried to work out what had happened.

All she remembered was the man in the road then blackness, everything in-between her seeing the man and ending up in the field was a blank.

Elle opened her eyes and found herself on her back laying on the road.

She forced herself to sit up and saw flames rising from the field on the side of the road about thirty feet from where she had ended up.

She rubbed her eyes as she saw the flames engulf and explode in the field.

She looked around to see Anna but she was alone in the middle of the road, she felt a warm trickle run down her forehead.

She raised her hand and touched the spot where she felt the trickle and saw blood on her fingers.

Elle groaned as she realised she had a head wound and was alone in the middle of nowhere with a mangled and burnt out car.

Then there was the question of who was that man and where was he now, because as she looked down the road there was nobody around.

"If that was an angel I swear I'm gonna start throwing punches" she yelled as she unsteadily climbed to her feet.

She swayed on the spot for a moment or two as she got her bearings and tried to remember which way she was heading on the road.

Elle forced herself to walk a few steps, she could not just stand out in the middle of nowhere on her own, she had to find help, she had to find her mother and Ellen Harvelle.

She had no idea where Anna had gone but she knew it had to have been her who saved her from the smash.

Anna had worked her angel magic and transported her from the car somewhere in-between hitting that boulder and ending up topside in the field.

But now she had gone and she did not quite understand that but she was thankful to be alive.

Elle walked a little even though her head was pounding and still bleeding until she heard a shuffle behind her and turned to see a man in his possibly early forties, tall, dark hair and beard standing behind her with a soulful big eyes.

She stood staring at him for a moment before he jittered like a faulty television screen.

He vanished and reappeared with in seconds and she knew he was a ghost.

He stared at her with a terrified and heartbroken expression on his face, he did not look threatening but he was a ghost and he was on the road. She could not remember if he was the one who had forced her to crash or not until she saw another man behind him.

This one was drip white, tall with a messy hair, torn clothes and he kept snarling as he grew closer to her.

This one was defiantly threatening and by the look of him he could do some damage.

"Run Elle, please" begged the ghost of the non threatening man as he turned to the other ghost who was gaining on her.

Something about the other ghost seemed so familiar but she did not know what, she had never seen him before but she felt like she knew him, she felt like he was protecting her.

The nice ghost grabbed for the other ghost and they both vanished.

Elle felt her heart flip and her stomach felt like it was in her mouth, she back peddled a little before breaking into a full run down the pitch black back road.

She felt her head spinning but she didn't care, she had to get away from the ghost even though she was a hunter she could not fight him because she had no weapons.

She ran until she felt her chest burning and her legs gave way and she fell to her knee's on to the hard dirt ground.

She panted for breath and began to cry, she heard a cars engine die and a door open.

She did not look up to see who had pulled up because she did not care any more, things were going from bad to worse and she was too tired to care.

"Elle oh my god" she heard a female voice gasp as she heard footsteps getting closer.

She felt an arm wrap around her and pull her up off the ground, but she couldn't move her legs to walk. She felt as if a weight was holding her to the spot.

"Elle you must move honey, we have to get you off this road" the female voice said softly but it was just noise to the young hunter.

"Give me a hand will you?" the female voice asked as another set of footsteps made their way over to her.

She felt another pair of arms grab her from the other side and forced her to the vehicle that had pulled up.

Elle felt her self being put in the back of a car and then heard the door slam shut but then nothing, everything went black.

"I'm telling you she was in the middle of the road on her knee's, completely out of it. Rufus found her car in a field three miles up the road. Totally mangled and burnt out, I don't know what the hell happened" the female voice from the road said from the small kitchen area.

Elle opened her eyes and sat up slowly, her head still hurt but not as much and her chest wasn't burning any more.

She looked around the room and noticed it was a motel room with the usual beige walls, tacky decorations and cheap furnishings but she was just glad to be off the road and away from the ghost.

She continued to listen to the one sided conversation coming from the other room, the woman who had helped her was obviously talking to someone on the phone.

Elle shifted from the bed and stretched her legs, they were stiff and sore but what else could she expect after running for so long.

"Dean keep calm" she heard the woman scold.

That made Elle snap back to reality, who ever this woman was knew Dean and was talking to him right now on the phone.

Elle crept to the beaded curtain that separated the main room from the small kitchen area and peeked around to see who was speaking to her brother.

Elle's face fell stern as her eyes fell on Jo Harvelle, she wasn't exactly a fan of the blonde and they didn't exactly get on but Jo did help her after all on the road so she had to be thankful for that at least.

Elle took a deep breath and pushed through the curtain and gave Jo a knowing stare.

Jo stared back at the young brunette and smiled sweetly "Dean she's awake just relax and I'll get her to call you later" Jo said before hanging up on the Winchester.

"He'll appreciate that" Elle said mockingly as she glanced to the phone.

"He'll be stood brooding now because I hung up on him but oh well.... he'll live" replied Jo with an amused smile.

Jo filled a cup with freshly brewed coffee for Elle and motioned for her to follow her back into the main room.

Elle followed the blonde into the main room and sat at the table, she just stared in to the cup and let the aroma ease her, the past few days had been mental and it could only get worse.

"Care to tell me what happened on the road?" Jo asked curiously but did not push for information.

Elle flexed her free hand and thought back to the night before, it was all a blur now but she still felt creeped out.

"There was a man in the road, I swerved to miss him and hit a boulder, the car ended up in the field and I ended up on the road" Elle replied slowly as she tried to piece the things together.

"Were you thrown?" asked Jo.

Elle shook her head in reply "No, Anna saved me....".

"Who's Anna?" Jo asked confused.

"She's an angel.... she's friends with a Dean, well they were more than friends from what I can tell" Elle replied amused as she remembered the looks they were giving each other the first time she met the angel.

Jo's face hardened and she began to look a little pissed off "sounds about right for Dean" Jo snapped.

Elle stared at the blonde for a while trying to work out why her attitude had just suddenly changed at the news of Dean and the angel.

"Oh my god.. you and Dean.. no way" Elle gushed as she realised that Jo and Dean must have once been more than friends.

"What.. no.. hell no.. could have been though, but you know the situation, right people, wrong time and place" Jo replied trying to clear up the misunderstanding.

Elle nodded in agreement "oh only too well" she replied as her thoughts went straight to the angel she had fallen in love with.

If he wasn't an angel and was human then they would be perfect for each other but he was an angel and nothing was going to change that.

Then she remembered what Anna had said before the crash, an angel was willing to fall for her but she had never found out which one.

"Anyway last night... what happened?" Jo asked concerned.

"I told you I swerved to miss the man and hit a boulder, the car flipped and ended up in the field, I ended up on the road with only a head wound" Elle replied as she sipped her coffee.

"Why were you on your knee's when we found you?" Jo asked suspiciously.

"Because I ran away from...... from a ghost on the road..." Elle replied shakily.

"Did it touch you?" Jo asked worriedly.

Elle only shook her head in reply, the ghost hadn't even got near her because of the other ghost who protected her.

"No... another ghost protected me and took the bad ghost away" Elle muttered.

"Another ghost, you mean there's two of them on that stretch of road?" Jo snapped.

"No... I don't think the other one belonged there.. I just think he was there protecting me" Elle replied softly as she tried to make sense of it all.

"What did he look like?" Jo asked as the motel door opened but Elle did not turn to see who had come in, she was too busy recalling the events of the night before.

"He was tall with dark hair, facial hair and he had dark big soulful eyes, he wasn't a nasty spirit and he knew my name.. he told me to run as he attacked the other ghost.. something about him looked familiar" Elle said calmly as she recalled the spirit who had protected her.

"Is this him?" said a distant male voice from somewhere across the room.

Elle looked up to have a photograph pointed at her.

Her eyes grew wide as the man on the photo was the one who she had seen on the road, the one who had protected her.

"Yes that's him" Elle choked as she stared at the photo.

Jo and the man looked at each other with shocked stares, Jo seemed to be more shocked than the man.

The man rolled towards her in his wheelchair and handed her the photo, she took it and admired it.

"Who is he?" Elle asked as she noticed something familiar about it.

"That is your father... that is John Winchester" the man replied with a cough.

Elle froze on the spot as she stared at the photo, that's where the familiarity was from, he had certain features that the guys had, nothing too prominent just the odd thing here and there like eyes and smile.

The man in the wheelchair just stared at her with concern "you have Sam and Dean protecting you, angel boy and now John even though he's dead.. do you really think running away will stop them all caring and risking life and limb for you?" he asked sternly but his face was calm and full of concern for the young woman.

"How can I stay when all I bring is trouble, I'm wanted dead by angels and I'm wanted by Lucifer, what the hell do I do?" Elle cried as everything crashed down on her and she fought to keep hold of the last shreds of life she had.

"The angels still want you dead but hell girl Lucifer doesn't want you... the only man who wants you.. higher being or not is that bloody angelic pest Castiel" the man in the wheelchair stormed.

She sat gob smacked at the table, processing what he had just said and making sure she hadn't heard him wrong.

"Castiel...... what?" she choked confused.

"Castiel.. the holy ass prick that he is went to heaven or wherever he goes to get his information and found out the truth about you, he interrogated one of Zachariah's big guns to tell all about why they want you dead and it's not because Lucifer wants you.. it's because you're a chosen one by God.. that angel Nathanel chose you when you were a baby to one day be an angel yourself. It may not be much better than what they wanted you dead for before but at least it's not because your hell bound" the man confessed seriously.

Elle continued to sit confused then a wide smile spread across her face "Castiel" she smiled.

The man in the wheel chair rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.

"I just tell you that you're destiny is to be an angel and all you care about is that god damn angel" he wailed.

"Bobby" Jo snapped as she watched Elle from her place on the bed.

"Now can we go back to Boston and get your brothers straightened out and end this façade. They can explain the rest" Bobby said in his authoritative tone of voice.

Elle smiled back at the man and nodded but then remembered about her mother being missing.

"My mom...." Elle wailed.

"Is fine and is on her way back to Boston with my mom... the hunt took them across the state and until they killed the thing they were not leaving, my mom gave me a fright but they are both fine.. we need to concentrate on you and keep you away from those angels" Jo replied reassuringly.

"Except for Castiel obviously" Bobby grinned "although I'm surprised he's still in one piece after what he confessed to Dean" the old hunter joked.

Elle felt her stomach flip and it felt like an eruption of butterflies were trapped in there.

Castiel was the only thing that calmed her and she had fallen madly in love with him and she just hoped she could get back to him before he did anything stupid.

"Why hasn't he come to find me?" Elle asked confused.

"Because Zachariah has shielded you from him, he can not sense you but he never gave up" the old hunter replied kindly.

"Non of them did" he added with a reassuring smile.

BOSTON....

Jo pulled into the street where Elle lived and parked up behind the Impala.

She got out and pulled Bobby's wheelchair out of the trunk and helped him into it as Elle jumped out of the car and took a long hard look at the house she lived in with her mother.

She saw her mother's range rover parked in the drive and her heart skipped a beat, she was really alive and OK, she was home.

Elle smiled back at Bobby and he motioned for her to move on, she was scared and did not know what to say to her brother's or how they were going to react when they saw her.

She forced herself to walk towards the drive and froze when she saw Sam looking out of the window at her he suddenly disappeared and then the front door flew open and he ran out down the drive towards her and scooped her up in a tight embrace.

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, she was glad to be home and to be with her brothers again.

"Elle" she heard her mother cry and Sam put her back down so she could go to her mother, as she stared up the drive she saw her mother and then she saw him.

Her heart pounded so hard her breathing began to get heavy and she couldn't help it.

She just wanted to hold him in her arms, she had been through so much and she just wanted him to comfort her.

She walked up the path slowly unsure of what to do but then Dean appeared and pushed Castiel down the drive towards her and she let caution go to the wind.

She picked up speed and ran to him wrapping her arms around him as he took her in a tight embrace.

She glanced up at him with tears in her eyes and he pressed his lips to hers and held her tight.

Elle felt her head spin but she forced her self to kiss the angel back, it was instinct.

Castiel didn't care if the angels could see and that they would banish him for what he was doing, he had fallen in love with Elle and nothing else seemed more important at that very moment.

After all if she kept alive until April then she would become an angel and then they could be soul mates.

Even if he did fall for this then at least he had fallen for something worth wile.


	9. Any way you want it!

'Any way you want it'

Elle heard the awkward coughs and clearing of throats over the blood rushing in her ears and the sound of erratic breathing as she lost herself in the kiss with her angel.

"Any time you'd like to come up for air you know......." Dean mocked from his spot on the drive way which made Elle smirk through the kiss.

It was good to be back and to hear her brothers voice and his usual wise crack attitude.

"Any time at all......" Dean mocked again and Elle heard a clash of fabrics from the drive, it sounded like someone had hit him in a gesture to be quiet.

"Hey" Dean squeaked in surprise.

"Shut up" Sam hissed.

"You shut up" Dean hissed back.

Elle slowly pulled away from Castiel and smiled up at him, his bright blue eyes stared back but they were not their usual deep, dark and confused. They were warm, enchanting and loving and it made her feel so much better but she still knew things were not going to be easy.

She still had a garrison of angels out for her blood and they would not stop until she was out of the picture.

"We should head in side and make a plan" Castiel said coolly in his knee trembling gravelly voice.

Elle once again felt the butterflies in her stomach go crazy, she had missed his voice so much even though he could be too serious it was one of the main things she loved about him that and his sheer look of terror when she hit on him in the bar, that was just too cute and it still made her laugh.

"Elle lets move this inside please" Boomed the authoritative voice of Bobby as he was pushed up the drive way by Sam with Jo and Katherine in tow.

Elle noticed Dean watching her and she could tell from his troubled expression he needed to talk to her in private but she really did not want to move from Castiel's side.

As she stared at Dean she felt a hand on the small of her back gently pushing her forward and she knew it was Castiel, he knew she needed to heal things with her brother if not for self peace then so there at least wasn't any tension when the big fight came.

And there was going to be a big fight, the angel could sense it.

Both Elle and Dean stood inches from each other at the top of the drive and they were both waiting.

Elle was waiting for Dean to speak and Dean was waiting for Elle to speak, they were just too similar and it was infuriating.

"Will you two make up already" snapped Anna as she suddenly appeared on the drive way making both Elle and Dean jump.

"Dude what is with you lot and the lurking" Dean hissed as he recovered from the shock of Anna appearing.

Anna smiled sweetly at Elle and she could tell from the look in the angels eyes that she was glad that the girl was alive and safe back home with the people who cared about her.

"About the accident.... thank you" Elle staggered as she tried to find the best words to explain her gratitude.

The red head just nodded in response and raised her brow at Dean who was just staring at the two females.

"We BFF's now or something?" he asked confused as a look of bewilderment appeared on his face.

"Anna saved me from the crash" Elle replied with a wry smile. Although Anna had disappeared and left her alone on the road at least she had saved her from the smash.

If it hadn't been for the angels intervention then she would have been dead and if it wasn't for the ghost of John she would have been a vengeful spirit chew toy.

"I owe Anna my life" Elle stated calmly.

Dean rolled his eyes "quite the little angel family now" he mumbled as he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and continued to stare a the two females.

"You two need to talk" Anna whispered into Elle's ear as she headed towards the house leaving the two quarrelling siblings on the drive.

"Dean I...." Elle began but was cut off by her brother wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

He held her for a moment then released her and stared at her contemplating his next move.

"If you ever run off again.... I'll kill you" he charged with a solemn stare.

"But that wouldn't help the situation would it" she grinned in response.

"I'm sorry about what I said and making you run off... I shouldn't have said what I said and if we lost you I don't know what I'd do.. you and Sam are the only family I have" Dean said seriously as he stood awkward trying to explain his feelings to his little sister.

"I'm sorry too, I guess I just lashed out and ran... I guess I'm not into following orders and having to answer to people" she replied just as seriously.

Dean smirked at his sister, his eyes glinted with amusement and it made her frown, she knew he was about to make another wise crack.

"You're not into following orders and answering to people yet you and angel boy" he smirked.

"Shut up" Elle smirked as she grabbed her brothers arm and dragged him up the drive into the house.

Elle had been home a couple of hours with her mother whilst her brothers, Bobby, Jo and Castiel were out gathering information and getting weapons and other supplies ready for the ultimate angel V's human face off that was looming when the angels came back for Elle because every body knew they would.

Zachariah had given Elle a deadline either kill herself in the next two days or he would end her once and for all.

Whilst every body was out on jobs Anna had agreed to stay behind and look after Elle in case any angels showed up.

Elle sat with her mom in the living room watching an old movie on the television as Anna sat quietly in the kitchen looking over books that the Winchester's had been using for research.

Anna missed the small things that made humans so unique such as watching TV with family and friends and having debates about characters and story lines.

She could tell from the light hearted debate going on in the living room that Elle and her mother had different views about the movie they were watching.

Elle's mother thought it was a classic romance story but Elle thought it was a stereotypical chick flick that made women look dumb and made the men look too perfect.

"No man is that perfect mom.... they all have their faults" Elle shrieked as the two started playfully arguing over a character in the movie.

"What about that angel of yours then" her mother asked curiously.

"Oh no... I'm not bringing Cas into this" Elle laughed as she threw a cushion at her mother in a bid to avoid the subject her mother had subtly got on to.

Anna listened but then forced her self to ignore the conversation.

She knew Elle and Castiel had a connection and it was a strong one, he risked everything for her and it actually made Anna jealous.

She had always had a thing for Castiel, she had known him for thousands of years and never once had he so much as even considered her to be his soul mate even though she had saved him and stood up for him numerous times.

She had even saved his life when Uriel tried to kill him but still the angel ignored her and now he had chosen this human over her.

Anna did not hate Elle she just envied her, she had everybody risking life and limb for her and she never even realised it.

She didn't realise how much danger people were putting them selves in just to keep her alive and what was the point.

What was the point in Castiel falling for her when come April if she lived that long she would be dead anyway and when she finally became an angel would she still feel the same way for the angel or would she suddenly become the obedient perfect soldier that Nathanel had chosen her to be.

The back door opened and in stumbled the Winchester's, Dean had a bag of groceries and Sam had a bag of books and a load of print outs he had downloaded from the computer.

Dean dropped the groceries on to the table and pulled out a beer.

"Beer seriously" Anna scolded.

Dean raised his brow at her and then turned to Sam who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Why not?" Dean barked as he made his way into the living room.

Anna just shook her head and followed Dean closely.

Sam pushed the door closed and locked it with haste, he knew the angels didn't need to use doors but he wanted to play it safe anyway.

"Oh god not this movie" Dean cried as he rounded the living room door and stared at the TV.

"It's a classic" wailed Katherine.

"Classic piece of crap" Dean retorted making Elle laugh.

"See mom even Dean agrees that the movie is rubbish" Elle laughed.

"To be fair if it's not porn Dean thinks it's crap" Sam whipped with a sly smirk.

Katherine just stared in shock at Dean as he didn't try to deny Sam's statement.

"Not all porn... I don't do Paris Hilton porn... I would much rather be held hostage by psycho Nell" Dean scoffed as he swigged his beer.

"Paris Hilton is psycho Nell" Elle replied with a laugh as she noticed Sam's confused and overly disturbed expression.

"Please don't mention Paris Hilton. I still have night mares" Sam whipped.

Dean smiled mischievously "how about Ghandi".

Sam just shook his head and fell into the spare arm chair ignoring his brothers taunts.

He still had nightmares of wax work figures and a demonic Paris Hilton since they had to hunt a pagan God who took the form of celebrities in order to kill fans and feast on them.

"You two are so odd" Katherine joked as she changed the channel.

The TV went fuzzy and Katherine groaned "the cable signal in this neighbourhood is crap".

Suddenly the picture came back on but it was now on a music channel, Elle sat staring at the screen as she saw the music video and heard the song for 'don't stop believing' by journey.

This song was haunting her and it was beginning to creep her out.

She noticed her mother just staring at the screen and saw that her eyes were glistening with unshod tears.

"What's wrong, the song's not that bad" Elle joked.

Katherine shook her head and sniffed back the tears in a failed attempt to stop them from falling.

"That song... it was mine and John's song, it was playing when we first met in a bar in the late 80's. It became our song and it always reminds me of him.. also in the early 90's it became a theme for trouble and every time I heard the song it was like a warning and I knew trouble or danger was coming" she choked.

Elle and Sam both stared confused and a little worried at each other from either side of the room.

"Wow what a way to make you dislike journey" joked Dean.

"I heard that song the night before you lot turned up here" said Elle softly as she recalled the song playing on its own when she was watching TV.

"So what somebody is using a power ballad as a warning sign" scoffed Dean from his place by the door.

"Maybe... it's not the craziest thing we've heard" Sam replied as he narrowed his eyes at the TV.

"Maybe it's John" Elle muttered softly, not realising just how loudly she had muttered and turned to find both Winchester boys staring blankly at her.

She took a deep breath and went on to explain the ghosts on the back road and explained about Bobby showing her a photo of John and it being the same man who protected her on the road.

"Dad saves the day again huh" Dean said smiling, the fact John was a ghost did not seem to bother him and he took it calmly.

"So dad protected you from the other ghost... this just gets weirder" Sam snapped as he tried to understand everything.

"You have angels out for you and now you have ghosts on back roads trying to kill you.. what are you on the top of the supernatural hit list or something?" Sam added.

Elle shrugged her shoulders and pulled her self up off the couch "maybe... or maybe it was coincidence, who knows" Elle replied calmly as she made her way to the living room door.

"I bet Zachariah knows" Dean spat angrily.

"Well either way they can get in line.. another freak after my blood isn't going to stop me fighting in the apocalypse. But right now I'm off to bed so good night and behave yourselves" she smirked as she waved every one good night and headed up the stairs.

Elle entered her room and caught sight of a shadow by her window, she observed it for a moment before it turned around and faced her.

A mischievous smile spread across her face and she felt her stomach ache due to the eruption of butterflies again.

"Do you always lurk in the shadows of girls bedrooms?" she asked jokingly.

Castiel stepped forwards and tilted his head slightly "no... I'm usually watching Dean"he replied.

"OK, too much information.. I don't need those images thanks.. you and Dean pillow talking" she shuddered as she sieved through her drawers looking for fresh pyjamas.

She felt the angel right behind her and it made a shiver run down her spine, he really had to stop this, him being so close did nothing for her composure.

She could tell he was standing right behind her because she could feel his breath on her neck.

She clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to stay focused on getting ready for bed.

"The angels are coming for you tomorrow" Castiel said sternly and wisely.

She could hear the pain in his voice and it cut her up.

"To kill me" she whispered, her voice getting lost in her throat, she didn't mean to whisper, she meant it as a question but it came out less than audible.

"Yes" Castiel replied smoothly.

Elle felt her heart sink, she knew it was looming but knowing it was the very next day just made it all the more real.

"Any idea who it's going to be?" Elle asked trying to hide the fear in her voice.

She felt Castiel place his hands on her shoulders and he leaned down close to her ear "It doesn't matter who they send.. I'll stop them.. they wont get you, either way you will survive this" he whispered reassuringly.

"What about you?" she choked in response.

"The odds aren't good but as long as you survive that's all that matters" he replied.

Elle felt her heart sink as the angel spoke of his fate, she did not want him to die especially not for her.

"If you die then I may as well die too" Elle cried as her composure started to fray and the thought of losing Cas broke her heart.

"No.. you have a role to play in this war.. heaven needs you to beat Lucifer" Castiel reasoned.

Elle twisted and turned to face the angel, his hands were still on her shoulders but now she was looking into his eyes and she could see the hurt and sadness reflected in them.

"so what I'm selfish... heaven needs me, I need you. I will not fight if I lose you.." she stated making the angel's face harden, she could tell he was getting annoyed.

"There is a bigger picture here Elle" he demaned.

"To hell with the bigger picture Cas, this is my life not theirs, I will not let you die because of me, If you die then I die" she snapped, the anger she felt boiling up inside made her pull away from the angel and she began to storm across the room.

Castiel grabbed for her and pulled her back with a jolt, she stumbled and hit into his chest with a thud.

She glared at his chest but never raised her head to look at him, she was angry, angry at the angels, angry at herself and angry at Cas for giving up on himself.

"Elle, this may be my last night on earth, please don't spend it angry with me" the angel begged with pleading eyes.

No matter how angry she was there was no way she could ever stay angry with Cas especially not when he gave her those pleading eyes.

"Last night on earth huh... so how are you going to spend it, angel boy?" Elle asked with a smile.

The angel tilted his head and looked at Elle with deep eyes.

"Maybe I could just sit here and watch you sleep" he replied hesitantly.

Elle stared deep into the angels eyes and felt her heart skip, she bit her lip and felt her legs weaken.

"No chance" she replied with clenched teeth.

The angel's head fell and hurt engulfed his eyes, he didn't expect her to say no especially not on a night like this.

Elle reached out and took his hand in hers and pulled him towards the bed "you're not sitting and watching me... you can join me" she said teasingly as she pulled the angel close and brushed her lips against his.

The angel paused hesitantly as he felt her lips lightly brush his and he felt his breath catch, he wasn't used to the things humans did to express intimacy but he wanted to learn and he wanted to learn with Elle.

He felt her slowly remove his trench coat and then his suit jacket, he was terrified of where it was going to lead but he didn't fight it, he couldn't even if he wanted to.

He was a higher being, an angel of the Lord but right now he was paralysed by Elle's touch and he felt himself slowly falling from obedience with every kiss and touch.

He pulled back from the kiss slightly and sighed "I'm not used to this... I don't know what to do" he whispered, his voice shaky and she could feel him trembling as he stood close to her.

"It's OK Cas, I don't expect anything from you.. just lay with me and that'll be enough" she whispered back as she placed one last kiss on his lips.

She headed to the bathroom to get changed and cleaned up before bed, she studied herself intently in the mirror for a while.

This may be the last time she got to look at herself and search herself for answers.

So many things were running around her mind, how would her mother cope if Elle got killed? How would her brothers react? What would Cas do? Where would she end up and would she ever get to see her father again?.

She didn't know the answers to any of the questions and that worried her all the more.

She splashed cold water on her face and breathed deeply, she wasn't going to get any answers tonight so she may as well head back to her room and go to bed.

After all she did have her angel waiting for her in there and that made her smile.

She headed back into her room and found Castiel flicking through a photo album he had found on her desk.

"See anything interesting" she chirped as she jumped on the bed.

Castiel gave her a slight smile as he continued to look through the album, he was admiring the photos of her through out her life and noticing how much she had changed over the years.

These were the kind of things humans took for granted, memories on paper things to look back on, things to remember each other by.

Castiel put the album back where he had found it and slowly made his way over to the bed where Elle was kneeling waiting for him.

Elle looked up at him admiring everything about him from his steel blue eyes, his rugged stubble and his over serious expressions.

He was everything she wanted and needed, even though the body was just a vessel she was also in love with the angel inside. The being that protected her and killed for her, the being that she felt safe with.

Castiel slowly leaned towards her and cupped her face with his hands and placed a long sensual kiss on her lips.

She felt every fibre of her being give into the feeling and grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down onto the bed on top of her.

She gripped him tight as they kissed passionately, it was perfect and she didn't want it to end, she wanted to have him with her forever, she'd take the good and the bad, anything as long as she had Cas.

She felt the angels heart beating hard in his chest, his breathing so heavy and it felt good, if they were going to die tomorrow then she was sure as hell going to make tonight memorable.

* * *

Elle woke to find herself in a log cabin, she was laying in a King size bed with pure crisp white sheets.

She could smell a sweet aroma in the air, it smelled like flowers and vanilla.

As she sat up in the bed she saw a vase of large white roses and a candle burning at the end of the bed.

'Where the hell am I?" she thought to herself as she climbed out of the bed and walked to the window.

As she looked outside she saw tree's after tree's and a river flowing, it was a beautiful scene but she didn't belong here.

She looked around the room and took everything in, it was the most beautiful place she had ever seen but it still left the question where was she and why was she here?.

She noticed a line of photo frames on the dresser and walked closer to them to take a better look, she picked the first one up and looked it over, it was of a woman in a white dress.

A blonde woman rather pretty, she was just smiling at who ever was taking the picture. Elle then looked over the other pictures, she noticed a photo of two young boys standing by a black car looking very serious.

No not a black car, it was the Impala Elle realised as she leaned in closer to look at the picture.

It was of two young boys stood in front of the Impala, she then looked at the last photo on the dresser, it was of a man, a baby and the two young boys from the other picture.

She picked that picture up and observed it closely, she then gasped as she saw who the man was.

It was John Winchester holding a baby.

Elle then looked closer at the baby and gasped, it was her.

She was holding a picture of herself as a baby, John and Sam and Dean.

How could this be possible, she thought they didn't know she was there sister but here she had a photo of them all together, they must have known she existed after all.

Elle turned for the door, she wanted to know who was at the cabin with her and if it was Dean she was going to have such a go at him.

She slowly made her way across the long landing to the stairs carefully listening for any voices that may be speaking down stairs.

She did not understand how she got here, the last thing she remembered was falling asleep in Castiel's arms as the two of them talked about what they would both do if they managed to survive the fight with the angels and the apocalypse.

The next thing she knew she was waking up the cabin in a room straight out of a fairy tale.

She crept down the stairs expecting to find Dean swigging beer and and eating pie but as she got to the bottom of the stairs she saw a man with his back to her, he was tall with dark hair but that is all she could see.

He was wearing dirty denim jeans and a black shirt which was rolled up at the sleeves.

Elle crept towards him slowly not knowing what to expect when he turned around.

She was mere inches from him when he slowly turned to face her and smiled.

Elle felt her knee's give and her mind cease up, how was this possible?.

"Hello Elle" said the man with a sweet, warm and kind smile.

Elle just stared unable to speak or think straight as the man walked closer to her, he still had the warm smile etched across his face and a gleam in his eyes.

"Dad" she managed to choke as she slowly over come the shock of seeing her dad again, this time actually knowing who the man was.

"Where am I?" she asked nervously as the man touched her arm in a gesture of affection.

He sighed and averted his gaze, that was a Sam thing to do and she knew it.

"Where are Sam and Dean.... where's Cas?" Elle asked as she searched the room looking for any sign of them being here.

"Elle they are not here... it's just us two..." John replied softly.

"But the angels are coming for me... I have to be there to help them" Elle cried.

"Do you not remember Elle?" John asked confused.

Elle had no idea what he was on about, the last thing she remembered was her and Castiel and then anything after that was just a blank.

"Remember what?" She asked confused.

John's eyes went to her stomach and he just stood silent.

Elle glanced down and saw what he was looking at.... she had a dark red bloody patch soaked on to her pyjamas.

Elle stood petrified as she stared at the patch on her top.

"Elle... you're dead" John said calmly as he wrapped his arm around her and held her close to his chest.

* * *

"Sam do something" Dean cried as he cradled his sisters body in his arms.

Sam stood shocked with tears running down his cheeks as he watched helplessly as his brother cradled and begged his sister to stay with him.

Sam turned to the two dead bodies laying on the floor outside Elle's bedroom door.

The body of her mother Katherine and the body of a man who neither of the men knew but they just knew from instinct that he was a demon at some point, now he was just the dead body of an innocent and the demon had long gone.

"Where was Castiel?" Dean screamed in anger as he held Elle close to his chest.

Dean returned to trying in vain to resuscitate his sister, yelling at her to wake up as he did.

"Sam come here and hold this to her" Dean yelled as he looked up at his brother who was just staring helplessly.

Sam fell to his knee's and held the cloth to the knife wound on his sister's stomach, he felt sick and was finding it difficult to breath.

"How long did they say the ambulance would be?" Dean snapped as he breathed into his sister's mouth and pressed repeatedly on her chest in a bid to bring her back.

"I don't know.... straight away I think" Sam replied.

"You think" Dean yelled stressed.

"My mind was else where Dean.... she's my sister too you know" Sam snapped back at his brother.

"Oh my god" Jo cried as she appeared at the door and looked down on Elle.

"What are you doing here?" snapped Dean as he saw Jo by the door.

"The back door was open and...... did angels do this?" she asked confused.

"Demons" replied Sam in a whisper.

"Where's Castiel?" Jo asked as she scanned the room for him but saw nobody else but the Winchester's and the dead bodies.

"What the hell is this twenty questions.... she's dead" Dean screamed in response to Jo's questions.

"Hello any body up there" rang the voice of a man from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes" cried Jo as she ran to the top of the stairs.

The paramedics ran up the stairs and stopped and looked at the dead bodies at the top of the stairs.

"They are dead.... but her pulse keeps coming and going" cried Dean as he saw the paramedics observing the two dead bodies by the stairs.

"What happened" the younger paramedic asked as he bent down to check on Elle.

"That man broke in and stabbed Katherine and then set on Elle but Elle fought back and wounded the intruder but he stabbed her in the process" Sam said shakily as he made up a story on the spot.

"You witnessed this" asked the older paramedic.

"We were sleeping down stairs when we heard the commotion up here so we came to see what was happening and we found Elle and the man struggling" Sam replied.

"Who are you lot?" asked the older paramedic as he pulled out some paddles to revive Elle.

"We are her brother's" Dean replied as he watched the paramedics helplessly.

The older paramedic used the paddles on Elle twice and then announced he had a pulse and that they had to get her to the hospital or they'd lose her again.

The Winchester's followed the ambulance to the hospital and Jo stayed at the house to answer any police questions that she could, she called her mother and Bobby up to come and help her.

Elle had been rushed to the operating theatre as soon as she got to the hospital because her liver had been severed by the knife in the struggle.

Sam and Dean hung around the hospital for five hours before the doctors gave their sister the all clear but explained that she would have to stay in the hospital for a few weeks until she had healed.

Dean went out side to ring Jo and Bobby to let them know that Elle was going to be OK and to find out how things were going at the house.

Jo told him that it was a neighbourhood shock wave and people had already been to drop flowers off outside the house and lit candles out side on the curb.

It was a major crime scene and as soon as Elle was awake the police wanted to question her.

* * *

"How am I dead?" Elle asked confused as she touched the bloody patch on her clothes.

"A demon killed you" John replied.

"Did I get him?" Elle asked curiously.

John smiled in amusement "Yes you did..... but unfortunately not before he got your mother".

Elle felt her heart break in two at that very moment, she had lost her mother and there was nothing she could do. She allowed her mother to be murdered by a demon.

"Elle you have a choice... you don't have to stay here, you can fight and go back" John said softly.

"Go where?" she choked in reply as she felt the tears run down her face, she thought it was ironic even in death she was still a cry baby.

"Back to your brothers and fight in the apocalypse" he replied wisely.

Elle let out a laugh, yeah because she really wanted to go back to that hell hole now, she had nothing there. Her mother was dead and Castiel obviously did nothing to save them, unless he was dead too.

"Cas... what happened to him?" Elle cried as the thought of him dead broke her heart over and over again.

"I don't know... all I know is I found you here with me" John replied softly but he could not hide his worry, he was as bad as Sam when it came to hiding his feelings.

"Where is here? Am I in heaven or a very Julie Andrews style hell?" she asked with a slight attempt at humour but it failed her, she could not joke when the man she loved could be dead.

"It's not heaven and it's not hell... it's kinda like limbo.. you stay here when you can't move on, until the reapers come and drag you off kicking and screaming that is" he replied with a smirk.

"To go back what do I have to do?" she asked curiously.

"Just hang on and the time will come when you are given the opportunity... hopefully before a reaper comes but if one does come then I'll hold them off" he replied with a knowing reassuring smile.

"Did Sam and Dean know about me before they found me?" she asked as she remembered the photos from the bedroom.

John shook his head "no they thought you were a friends baby... they met you and your mother when you were a baby but Katherine told me to tell them that she was just a friend. Dean wasn't too keen on you as a baby but Sam liked being with you and he even read you stories" John said as he recalled the memories.

"No change there then" Elle joked with a smile "me and Dean are either fighting with each other or fighting for each other".

Suddenly Elle started to flicker and disappear and reappear, John stood and watched with wide sad eyes.

"What's happening to me?" she cried.

"It's time.... you must decide what you want... to be here until the reaper's take you and you'll end up god knows where or to fight and go back" John said calmly.

Elle stared at her dad with a confused and sad eyes, what should she do, should she go back and be with her brothers or stay where she was.

What if she had nothing to go back to.....................................................


	10. Who's crying now

'Who's crying now'

"The little princess has been dealt with, so now we can get back to business, play time is over Castiel" echoed the voice of Zachariah from across the dark and dingy abandoned warehouse.

Castiel glared up from where he was being held in the middle of an angel trap in the middle of the room.

Zachariah stepped forwards from the shadows and just stared down at Castiel with a twisted smile across his face and that made Cas all the more pissed off.

"To hell with you" Castiel snarled as Zachariah began to circle him.

"No I think it's to hell with your little girlfriend actually.. or it will be soon if she isn't there already" Zachariah mocked as his face fell serious and his eyes began to burn into the angel who had disobeyed him.

"You bastard" Castiel choked as Zachariah continued to circle him.

The last thing Castiel remembered was holding Elle in his arms as she drifted off to sleep after the two of them had made love.

Then he found himself in the warehouse trapped in an angels trap alone in the dark, unable to escape or call on anyone for help.

He had no idea why he was here or what was happening to Elle whilst he was away but he was certain it involved Zachariah somewhere along the line and he knew it wasn't good.

He knew he was being held in an angel trap solely to stop him returning to Elle and that reason alone would be to stop him from saving her.

"You know the rules Castiel.. angels who disobey fall, angels who sin fall and angels who screw little whores fall" Zachariah chimed almost to an unheard tune.

"What about angels who lie, kill innocent people and jump start the apocalypse... shouldn't you have fallen already?" Castiel said calmly.

"Not when I'm the one making the rules now" Zachariah replied coldly.

"You brought this on your self Castiel, if only you had kept a lid on your feelings, obeyed the orders and refused to give into your filthy need for intimacy with that human" Zachariah spat.

Castiel smirked slightly "A friend of mine advised me once that if I showed emotion once in a wile and got laid once in a wile I'd actually act more human and be a decent guy".

Zachariah returned the smirk "Did it work?" he asked mockingly.

"Well I'm more of a decent guy than you and I guess I am more human... more like the beings our father ordered us to love" Castiel replied smoothly.

"And you don't half love the simpering miscreants don't you?" snarled Zachariah as he circled the angel one more time.

"Humanity is a vile, murderous, sinful and pathetic existence.. you love that, beings that don't even measure on our scale" Zachariah stated hatefully.

"I respect humanity the way God intended and I love Elle... one of God's most perfect, beautiful and kind hearted creations" Castiel replied to the archangel. His eyes focused on the floor so he did not have to look at his superior.

"Eleanore Yates is not one of God's creations, she is the product of a lust fuelled night between two stupid people" the archangel laughed "she should never have survived her birth, her existence should have been ended the second she was born but no, the story of my life, an angel intervened and saved the day, well not this time".

Castiel slowly glared up at his superior and nothing but pure hate gleamed in his eyes. He hated the way he spoke about Elle.

The fact he so openly gloated about how she should be dead and how angels have looked out for her all her life but this time would be different, he would have her life ended and no angel could stop him.

"You don't just think Nathanel will stand by and allow you to kill one of his chosen one's do you?" Castiel snapped with hate.

He knew Nathanel had chosen Elle and had spent her entire life so far protecting and watching her.

Zachariah just smiled back at the angel "that's exactly what he's going to do... you see angels are allowed to take soul mates, not for things like sex.. we don't need that, unless you're you obviously but we wont go into that... angels are allowed to take soul mates if they so wish and some spend thousands of years searching for the one... now our Elle is special, or at least she was to Nathanel.. you see he had designs on her, he wanted her to be his soul mate when she eventually became an angel.... but guess who ruined those plans?" Zachariah taunted.

Castiel stared in shock at the archangels revelation, he could not believe how that could be true.

Elle's life could not hang in the balance just because she chose him over Nathanel.

"Me" the angel choked.

"Yes Castiel, you. You see Nathanel saw her first, he'd saved her from death as a small child and watched her all her life but then you suddenly appeared in the picture. The cat amongst the pigeons so to speak and you got in the way, you ruined all plans to make Elle Nathanels soul mate.. because she fell in love with you" Zachariah responded amused.

"She's not a possession to be claimed.. she's a human being" Castiel snapped in response.

"Humans have a similar rule regarding lovers and things... best friends and family do not or should not chase after a friends ex or lover, the same goes with brothers, they do not take the girl their brother has his sights on.. Nathanel is your brother and you stole his girl" Zachariah chimed with a sickly smile.

"Well loves not that simple.... only humans can understand that.. angels are too black and white, if it looks like a duck it must be a duck so you shoot it" Castiel responded amused.

Zachariah just stared at him confused, he did not understand the angels play on words, it was too human for him to understand, the humour of humans and riddles ceased to amuse him there fore he did not understand.

Since hanging around with Dean, Castiel had learned a lot regarding human sense of humour and attitudes.

Castiel felt himself becoming more human by the day and it wasn't a bad thing, for once he had a grasp on the actions of humans and he finally understood that the one thing no body can explain is love but when you feel it you know it and it's the only thing to drive you crazy because you don't understand it but at the same time you don't want to give it up.

"Ducks... this is no time to talk about wild life" Zachariah sniggered.

"Oh shut up you little bitch" Castiel snarled at his superior, he had had just about enough of having to listen to him and it was becoming tiresome not to mention boring.

"Excuse me" scoffed Zachariah.

Castiel let his head drop and he let out a sigh of exasperation, he just didn't get it did he.

"I said shut up... you little bitch, you may like the sound of your own voice but I for one am sick of it.. if you're going to kill me, banish me.. whatever, get on with it already.. save me the earache."

Castiel said sarcasticly as all his patience just fell away from him.

"Learn some respect boy" Stormed Zachariah.

"I have respect... just not for you, you dick" Castiel replied with a twisted smirk, he had finally given into his fate. If he as going to be banished then he may as well go out with a bang instead of a whimper.

* * *

The lights in the cabin began to flicker making Elle fear the worst.

"What's that?" she cried as the flickering got worse and the cabin began to shake.

"It's coming..... Elle you must decide, it's now or never" John yelled over the sound of the rattling and the shaking.

"What's coming?" she yelled in reply.

"The reaper.... Elle you must decide, NOW" he yelled in a stressed tone of voice.

"I wanna go back.... I wanna help Dean and Sam end this" she cried back as she met her father's sad eyes.

"Then fight Elle.... GO" he yelled as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly and thought hard about being back with her brothers, helping them, fighting with them and ending the stupid battle.

* * *

Elle gasped awake and and clenched her hands tightly, was she really back.

Was what she just went through just a dream, did she really just meet her dad again or was it all induced by being almost killed and a variety of drugs being pumped into her system to keep her alive.

As she clenched her hands tightly she felt something sharp in her hand digging into her palm.

She raised her hand to see what it was and noticed the IV drip in her arm.

She groaned at the sight, she looked like a Greys anatomy reject still intact with all the props and make up.

She glanced down at her hand and saw a semi crinkled photo in her hand, she held it closer to her face and focused on it. Her eyes were still blurred and fuzzy due to her being unconscious for however long she was out.

Her eyes slowly began to focus on the photo in her hand and she began to make out shapes and colours but nothing stood out at first.

Then things became clearer, it was the photo from the cabin, the photo of her, John and her brothers.

If it was a dream how could she be holding the photo in her hand now?.

Elle looked around the room, looking for any signs of her brothers.

Had they been to see her or had they left town, had they gone to fight the angels, what the hell had happened when she had been at deaths door?.

'I gotta get out of here' she thought to herself as she grabbed for the IV drip in her arm.

Just as she was about to pull it out she felt a hand on her hand "that's not a good idea" said the smooth and soothing voice of Nathanel.

"What's going on? Where are my brother's?" she asked the angel as he scanned the room absent mindedly.

"It's not safe here" he rushed as he stared back at her, his eyes full of panic and sadness.

"What's wrong?" Elle asked as she watched the angels eyes dart around the room.

"We haven't got long... I have to get you out of here before they realise you're alive" he whispered as he placed his hand on her head.

Elle suddenly found herself standing outside a room which had symbols scrawled all over the walls in a red substance.

"Please tell me that's not blood" she squirmed as she eyed the walls.

"You must go in there and wait" Nathanel said as he pointed into the room.

"Why and why am I not on the floor in pain from my ill fated injury" she asked confused as she realised she wasn't in any kind of pain.

"Because Zachariah is still after you and secondly I healed you... there is nothing wrong with you now, no trace of a knife wound, severed liver or blood loss" he replied calmly.

"Wait for what?" she asked curiously as she peered in to the room one more time.

"You must wait until we kill Zachariah. Without him to give orders no other angel will come after you, you will be safe" he answered with a reassuring smile.

"We... I take it you don't mean you and your posse of rebel angels" she retorted.

Nathanel shook his head slightly "no I mean we as in me, your brothers and Anna".

"What about Cas?" she cried.

Nathanel stood stern and just gazed at her with a deep sadness in his eyes "I'm sorry" he replied in a whisper.

"Sorry... sorry for what... where is Cas?" she yelled as Nathan began to walk away from her.

"I want to know what the hell has happened to him, NOW" she yelled after the angel.

Nathanel turned to her and looked to the ground, she could tell from his stance that there was something wrong.

"Castiel disobeyed, so for that he must pay the punishment" he replied before disappearing.

"What...." she whispered in shock as she was left standing alone outside the room.

Elle stared down at her hand and found she was still clutching the photo of her and her brothers.

"To hell with this" she cursed as she ripped out the IV line and pulled off the ECG sticky tabs that were still stuck to her arms.

She followed a short corridor until she came to some stairs.

'welcome to the unknown' she said to herself as she climbed the stairs and pushed open the door at the top.

She stepped out of a door behind the alter in Saint Michael's church, her eyes widened as she saw the stained glass faces of the archangels Raphael, Gabriel and Michael staring down at her "bloody angels" she cursed as she began to walk past the pews but suddenly stopped and realised she couldn't just walk out of the church in a hospital gown.

"Great" she growled as she looked down and scowled at the green gown, it wasn't exactly something she could just walk around the streets in and not draw attention to herself.

"If God is real then fashion me up some presentable clothes" she asked aloud as she bit back a sigh.

She heard a shuffle from behind her and turned to see the priest standing there with a ruck sack in his hand.

"I don't think it has anything to do with God, but this may help" he said with a smile as he flung her the ruck sack.

She recognised it instantly because it was Sam's rucksack, but why was it at the church.

"A girl with red hair dropped it off for you about five minutes ago" the priest replied as if he had heard her thoughts.

"Right OK" she replied confused.

"He's in danger... he can't hold out much longer" the priest said wisely as if she was just supposed to know who he was talking about.

"Who's in danger?" she asked confused.

"Castiel....." the priest replied softly.

"How do you know?" she cried as fear struck her deep in her heart.

"He's talking to me... I can hear him" the priest explained softly with sadness and tears in his eyes.

"How?" Elle asked questioningly as she observed the priests actions just in case it was some kind of trick being played by the angels.

"He's been talking to me for a few days now, that night you walked me back, two men came to the church in the early hours, the angel Castiel and a man named Dean Winchester, Castiel showed me what he really was, he answered my prayers when I had almost lost faith and you know how much I was questioning God. He came with Dean and he spoke to me, he promised to guide me through the fight and all he asked was that when the time came that I would help him, he left something in my care that you may need" the priest said as he stared up to the heavens.

"I now understand about the war and that Lucifer walks the earth, I understood about the angels that have disobeyed Gods will and I understand that there is those angels who would rather fight for humanity alone and not for heaven, Castiel is one of those angels and now he needs my help" the priest reasoned.

"What's happening to him padre and where is he?" Elle asked as tears ran down her face.

"He is being held captive in a warehouse near Great Arberton... he's being held and beaten by Zachariah, punished for his sins and he can't hold out much longer, he's not strong enough" the priest replied as he wiped his tears from his eyes.

"We have to help him" Elle said as she headed off to change into her clean clothes that were in the ruck sack.

"You can't go Elle, if you go then they will kill you and Castiel swore me to keep you safe at all costs" he ordered.

Elle shook her head as she pulled on her jeans behind the alter and then pulled on a tshirt "well then it'll be the second time I've died today... I'm getting kinda good at it" she mocked as she pushed the photo into her back pocket and stormed towards the priest.

"Lets go" she ordered.

The priest frowned at her but did as she said, he was used to Elle and he knew no matter what he said she would end up going to the warehouse on her own anyway.

* * *

Dean stared out of the Impala window as Sam drove and Anna sat in the back explaining all about the warehouse and who was going to be there.

"So it's a trap.... we go in and save Cas and we all get smoked.. I'm fine with that, as long as I get to take some sonofabitches down with me" Dean hissed as he stared into the wing mirror watching the road pass him by in its reflection.

"Dean if we fight we die" Anna replied wisely.

"And if we don't fight we become Zachariah's bitches... yeah death seems a welcome vacation" Dean snapped as he continued to stare into the mirror.

"Take the next left and the warehouse is a mile from the road" Anna ordered as she gave instructions on how to get to the warehouse.

The Impala pulled up and Dean met the stern gaze of Bobby and Ellen as they waited by a pick up truck on the road side.

"So this is ground zero... not very impressive is it?" Dean mocked as he eyed the warehouse.

"It used to be a vampire's nest" Bobby replied with a frown.

"And now it's an angel frat house... the estate agent really needs to get some normal clients" Dean mocked as he popped the trunk and pulled out any weapon he could carry.

"A gun seriously" Anna whipped.

"Insurance policy... just in case Michael turns up and tries to jump into my meat suit.. I'll shoot myself before he does" Dean replied.

"He'll just bring you back" Anna retorted.

"I've got Five bullets... I think after the first three times it'll get boring" Dean smirked.

Sam sighed and rolled his eyes "so what's the plan" he asked with a serious tone.

"Straight through the front door and we gatecrash the frat party" Dean rushed as he swigged from a bottle of beer.

"Dude, that's suicide" Sam snapped in defence.

"Dude this whole thing is a suicide mission, since when did you start questioning things... after all you were the one who walked straight in the front door of that convent and smoked Lillith starting the whole freaking apocalypse so don't start getting picky now" Dean roared as he glared across the car at his brother.

"Enough" yelled Bobby as he glared at both Winchester's from his wheel chair.

"This isn't helping in the slightest and you know it" he scolded.

Ellen stepped forwards and snatched the bottle of beer off Dean and gave him a warning stare.

"Sobriety is the key..... don't go in there in a bid to get yourself killed boy, there's other people relying on you" she warned sternly.

"Yes mom.. yes dad" Dean smirked as he took off towards the warehouse.

Castiel knelt on the floor in the middle of an angels trap, his face was bleeding and he looked like he was on the verge of giving up.

Dean had never seen him this bad, even after all the times he had taken beatings from other angels he never looked this bad and this hopeless.

"Cas.. what the hell" Dean muttered to himself.

Sam crept up behind him and peered through the gap in the wall "what the..." Sam cursed as he saw the room scattered with angels all watching the beating.

"Are you ready to obey now and do as your orders say?" boomed the voice of Zachariah from across the room.

Castiel spat blood out and raised his head to look the angel in the eyes "NO" he said calmly then averted his gaze again.

"Fair enough.... continue" said Zachariah coolly as the interrogator giving Castiel the beating stepped forwards.

"Bastard" hissed Dean as his eyes fell up on the person beating his friend.

Dean glared through the gap at the man beating and cutting Castiel in a bid to make him fall back in line and follow orders like a good little angel.

"What's happening?" asked the cool voice of Nathanel as he appeared behind the Winchester's.

His gaze fell up on the angel being beaten and then the person beating him, Nathanel felt a rush of anger soar through his body at the sight in front of him.

"So this is what happens when angels step out of line" Sam whipped.

"No, most angels are just banished or killed out right, this never happens... they are trying to convert him back" Nathanel replied.

"Convert him.... to what?" Dean questioned with confusion.

"It appears they are trying to brain wash him.... force him back in line.. make him carry out the orders... make him kill Elle. They are pushing him to the brink in a hope that he'll snap and agree to kill her... anything to stop the torture, I'm sure you can relate Dean" Nathanel replied as his deep dark eyes met those of Dean.

"Does he look like he's any where near giving in?" Sam asked with concern.

Nathanel looked at Castiel with admiration "no... he'd rather die first... he'd never give in.. he loves her too much".

"Cas would give his life for Elle... that's some serious shit" Dean scoffed.

Nathanel stared at Castiel from his spot outside the warehouse, he knew there was no way he could compete with that kind of devotion.

He had saved Elle numerous times but his life never hanged in the balance for her and Castiel was willing to die for her right now, he would never give in to the torture and agree to kill her.

Nathanel could tell from the look in Castiel's eyes that he'd rather take the torture for the rest of his existence as long as it meant Elle was alive.

Dean continued to stare at the man torturing Castiel, Dean could feel a black pit of hate building up inside him and he was ready to snap.

"Since when did angels and demons work in cahoot with each other?... the bunch of self righteous pricks" Dean cursed as his eyes burned in to the back of Alastair as the demon tortured Castiel.

"Since now" Sam replied harshly.

"Show time" Dean whipped as he took off around to the front of the warehouse.

The warehouse doors burst open and Dean sauntered in with a grin across his face.

"Is this a private demon and angel party or can any one join in.... I mean I've been to hell and I'm Michael's vessel so.... I'm feeling a little left out" he mocked as he stood in front of Zachariah.

"Dean get out" Castiel demanded but Dean ignored him.

"I hope you don't mind but I brought a few buddies" Dean smirked as Sam, Anna and Nathanel walked in behind him.

Zachariah just stood and stared at Nathanel "you serious... you're joining them" he snapped.

Nathanel just stared coldly at the archangel who had caused so many problems and who had joined forces with a demon in a bid to torture a fellow angel.

"Yes" Nathanel replied coolly.

"Even after this runt ruined your plans" Zachariah stormed as he viciously pointed towards Castiel.

"Being an angel... a higher power means we are merciful and forgiving.. I can't hold him accountable for Elle's choices. She chose him and that's what's important. They have a love that I could never imagine and I am not going to hate that. God is about love and forgiveness or have you forgotten that?" Nathanel replied to Zachariah who was now standing gob smacked at the angels revelation.

"Besides Elle would never be mine because you planned on killing her ever since she was born, just so you can have paradise" Nathanel snapped.

"Well things don't always go the way we expected does it" Zachariah smirked as he signalled for Alastair to continue the beating.

"Touch him one more time and I will rain down my wrath on you all" Nathanel barked in demand.

Zachariah turned to an angel to his right and whispered something, then the angel turned to Sam and flicked his finger and Sam went down to the ground with a thud.

"He now has two broken legs...... again, so tell me what should my next move be?" Zachariah mocked in an evil tone of voice.

"What the hell..... you are seriously a litter of sick puppies" barked Dean as he stared down at Sam who was writhing on the floor in agony.

"Remember the stomach cancer or the no lungs" Zachariah beamed.

"Yeah that was hilarious you douch" Dean snapped in reply.

"Well this time I've got much better idea's, how about every one of your organs slowly exploding inside you" Zachariah smirked.

"Delightful" Dean whipped in reply.

"Or I could just have Alastair here rip Castiel's head off and then you'll have one less comrade in your fight against.... well me" Zachariah beamed excitedly.

"Or I could just shoot him" whipped a female voice from the warehouse door which was followed by gun fire and the demon fell down with a crack and a lightening effect as the demon was killed.

Zachariah wheeled to see who had intervened and saw Elle stood in the door way with a gun aimed at him.

"What you're dead..... Is that the colt." he spat.

"Clearly I'm not chuckles" she replied with a smirk "but Alastair is, my condolences I know what it's like to lose a pet, oh and yes I believe it is" she said as she stormed over towards Castiel.

Dean and Nathanel straightened and closely watched Elle and Zachariah as she bent down in front of Castiel and broke the angel's trap with her finger.

"I'm so sorry Cas" she whispered as he fell forwards on to her.

She wrapped her arm around him and helped him up, she was closely followed by the priest who took him by the other arm and helped him away from Zachariah.

"Just out of curiosity if you thought she was dead then why did you want him to agree to kill her?" Dean asked curiously.

"Because I just wanted to break him and his love for her... trust and love are two of the main human emotions that get broken more than anything else.. I wanted him to break her heart because even if she wasn't dead... knowing he no longer loved her would have pushed her over the edge.. and I'm confident that that alone would have forced her hand and made her commit suicide. The ultimate sin and she would never become an angel after that" Zachariah gloated.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble ugly, but I think your plan failed" Dean said with a smirk as he turned and walked away from the angel.

Nathanel moved towards Zachariah slowly "I will only say this once and this goes for all of you... ever touch or even consider hurting any of these people and you will have me to answer to, I promise I will without hesitation kick you to the pit because trust me when I say this.... it won't be the first time I have banished someone to hell, remember Lucifer" Nathanel said calmly.

"Michael banished Lucifer to the pit" Zachariah replied confused.

"Michael didn't work alone... it took two angels to banish him to hell and I was the other one" Nathanel responded coldly.

Nathanel then turned to Sam and healed him before walking out of the warehouse with Anna in tow.

Zachariah glared at Nathanel as he exited the building with the Winchester's, Elle and Anna beside him.

Zachariah had lost once again and it pissed him off but it wouldn't be the last they saw of him.

* * *

A MONTH AND A HALF LATER....

Dean stood by the Impala with Sam on the other side watching as the estate agent put up the SOLD sign in the front yard of Elle's house.

"So that's it, the end of an era" Dean said with a smile.

"Yeah I guess it is......" replied Elle as she eyed the house where she had grown up.

"Not having second thoughts are you?" Sam asked with a slight worried tone in his voice.

Elle smiled at both men and shook her head "what are you kidding... life on the open road with you guys, what could be better" Elle smirked as she playfully slapped Sam on the back and ran to Dean and jumped on his back.

Dean playfully gave her a piggy back as they did a victory lap of the street before returning back to the Impala.

"You didn't think of keeping the house and you know...." Sam hesitantly began but cut him self short before finishing his sentence.

"What just in case I decided that being a Winchester and a hunter got too tough and I wanted to escape and go back to having a normal life, seriously I think after all this a normal life is out of the question.. besides being on the road with my big brother's will be fun and I can stop you two from killing each other" Elle replied with a playful stick out of the tongue.

Sam laughed and shook his head at his sister "actually I meant once the baby is born you may need somewhere to live, you can't be a hunter and a mother on the road" he replied.

Elle stared at him in shock with her mouth gaping open.

'How the hell did he know' she thought to herself as she instinctively rested her hand on her flat stomach.

"What?" she gasped in shock.

Sam smiled and leaned against the car with his arms folded across his chest, she couldn't hide anything from him.

"The erm... pregnancy test you took, you left it in the waste basket in the bathroom and well.... I found it" Sam replied with a coy smile.

"Don't tell Dean...." she began to beg but she could tell from Sam's face that Dean already knew.

"He knows doesn't he?" she asked as she winced from the thought of what his reaction was.

Sam nodded his head with a slight smirk across his face which illuminated his eyes "yeah he knows, angels aren't the best at keeping secrets you know".

Elle let a smile spread across her face, even though she was annoyed with Castiel for telling Dean about the baby before she did she couldn't stay mad for long, after all she loved him and she was having his baby.


End file.
